George Russell expressed shock after securing fifth place in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix, calling it his worst qualifying performance of the 2025 Formula 1 season so far. The Mercedes driver was just two-tenths of a second behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen, a gap Russell himself found surprising given his struggles throughout the session. His lap time was also only 0.01 seconds behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, showing how tightly packed the field was despite his own frustrations.
During Q2, Russell looked to be in trouble, initially placing himself in the elimination zone on used tyres and falling behind his teammate Kimi Antonelli. However, switching to new C5 tyres allowed him to qualify for Q3, where he ultimately booked fifth for the grand prix. The British driver admitted that qualifying had generally been a strength for him throughout 2025, but Miami proved to be a tough challenge where nothing seemed to click.
I’ve been really struggling today, to be honest. This whole weekend has just not been clicking for me,
Russell revealed, his tone tense and frustrated.
Quali’s been a real strength of mine this season, but clearly whatever’s been working so well this year for me, it does not work here in Miami. And Kimi’s been doing a great job.
Russell described this qualifying as his worst of the year, yet he remained somewhat relieved to manage a top-five starting spot.
It could have been worse. I was really surprised to be this close to pole position because it felt really bad out there,
he added.
I didn’t feel confident in myself and I knew I couldn’t drive to my potential because I didn’t have the confidence. Days like this, it’s sort of damage limitation – so P5 was a good thing all things considered.
He pinpointed the root of his difficulties to unlocking performance from the front tyres, crucial for confidence and grip during the lap. Specifically, Russell struggled to get the front-end bite in the second sector, an issue worsened by an overnight increase in tyre pressures mandated by Pirelli. This change particularly affected Mercedes, which Russell said was likely the most vulnerable of the front-running teams to maintain optimal tyre temperatures.
It’s how you drive always puts the tyres in a slightly different window. And clearly Kimi, from lap one this weekend, he’s been really on it,
Russell explained, acknowledging Antonelli’s strong form.
He’s been exceptionally fast, doing an amazing job – and for myself, I’ve taken a step backwards, so you know what’s worked for me for these first five races did not work here in Miami.
The presence of a sprint race adds extra tension for Russell heading into the weekend’s remaining sessions. Starting on the back foot, especially after a difficult qualifying, makes it harder to recover.
With sprint races, when you start on the back foot, it’s a bit difficult to turn it around and that was the case. I was always struggling a lot in that middle sector, sector two – the front end was just not coming to me,
he remarked with visible frustration.
Pirelli increased the pressures last night which compounded the issue, and we know that out of the top four teams we’re probably the worst in keeping the temperature out of the tyres,
Russell said, highlighting a technical challenge that may continue to hinder Mercedes’ pace in Miami.
Despite the tight margins between drivers in qualifying, Russell expressed anxiety about the race ahead.
It’s so close out there on a single lap, but I unfortunately expect that gap to extend tomorrow,
he predicted, signaling concern over the Mercedes car’s performance under these conditions.
Overall, George Russell’s surprising fifth place qualifies as a small consolation in a weekend marred by discomfort and technical struggles. His admission of lacking confidence and the difficulties with tire temperatures paint a tense picture of Mercedes’ challenge in Miami. How the team adapts to these problems will be critical as the season progresses, with both Russell and Antonelli vying to maximize every opportunity despite setbacks. This qualifier serves as a stark reminder that, even for top drivers, success in Formula 1 often hinges on finding the delicate balance between machine and driver, especially on tricky circuits like Miami.
