Why did George Russell have 'mixed feelings' after 2023 Azerbaijan GP sprint shootout?

George Russell said that he had mixed feelings after the 2023 Azerbaijan GP sprint shootout, especially with his newfound speed.

The Mercedes driver struggled for pace compared to his illustrious teammate Lewis Hamilton, especially during the first and the second qualifying sessions. All that changed in Q3, though, when on the last lap, Russell pulled off a beautiful one that was good enough for P4 and was better than his teammate's.

Talking to the media, including Sportskeeda, Russell admitted that he was not sure why Mercedes continue to get better and better with every lap:

"I've mixed feelings. I'm very happy with the job in qualifying, and I think P4 is exceeding our expectations. But when I got back into the pitlane I was like: bugger! I still made that mistake yesterday and this shows what was probably possible, but you can't always be on your A-game."

He added:

"But it's an interesting one. We always seem to get better as qualifying progresses. We always sort of come into our own come Q3, and as the weekend progresses, so there's something to learn there."

---

"I improved my driving" - George Russell

George Russell also said that the trait of getting better with every lap is something the team did not envision, as it would compromise them on sprint weekends. Nevertheless, there are question marks in Russell's mind over how Mercedes turned things around:

"We don't purposefully make the car in that way that it keeps seemingly getting better. We've got some ideas why that may be but, as I said, I'm pleased that we sort of turned it around or, let's say, I improved my driving because obviously the car stays the same from yesterday."

George Russell will hope to make the most of the situation in the sprint, as the Mercedes driver is a bit compromised for the main race.

The Briton will start the main race on Sunday in P11, which could make for a tough outing, especially considering the kind of jeopardy that tends to be associated with a track in Baku. The sprint could also be the perfect opportunity for Russell to secure his first 'top 3' result of the season, too.