Trending Now - George Russell Struggles With Car Issues as Teammate Shines

WHO:

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal

George Russell, Mercedes driver

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes driver

Sky Sports F1, media outlet

WHAT:

George Russell faced car issues during qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Russell secured second on the starting grid for the race.

Kimi Antonelli will start from pole position.

Russell sent distressed messages to the pit wall, asking them to "look at everything" to rectify his problems.

Antonelli expressed he was "super happy" with his qualifying session.

WHERE:

Suzuka circuit, Japan

WHEN:

Qualifying session occurred on March 28th, 2026.

Antonelli claimed his maiden Formula 1 win at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier in 2026.

WHY:

Changes made to Russell's car resulted in too much oversteer, making it difficult for him to drive.

Wolff indicated that the set-up tweak had a greater impact than expected.

HOW:

A set-up tweak was made to Russell's car before the qualifying session, which led to oversteer issues.

(UPDATED March 28, 2026 21:02 UTC)

During the qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka circuit, George Russell faced significant car issues that resulted from a set-up tweak, leaving him with too much oversteer and prompting him to send distressed messages to the pit wall. Despite these challenges, Russell managed to secure second on the starting grid, while Kimi Antonelli celebrated his maiden pole position and expressed he was "super happy" with his performance. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged that the impact of the car adjustments was greater than anticipated, highlighting the difficulties Russell encountered during the session.