30/07/2022
NEWS STORY
Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff believes George Russell's mega, pole-winning lap is proof that the title is still up for grabs.
No sooner had we reported - based on Friday's "crazy" performance - that the W13's performance appears not to change from circuit-to-circuit but day-to-day and even session-to-session, than George Russell proved us right by claiming pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Even the Briton was amazed.
"I came across the line, looked at the screen and saw we went P1, and that was an incredible feeling," said Russell in the moments after the session. "I'm over the moon, absolutely buzzing!
"Yesterday was probably our worst Friday of the season," he added, "and everybody last night was working so hard. We didn't really know what direction to go in.
"And then that last lap, I got round turn 1, went round turn 2, turn 2 was mega, and the lap time just kept on coming and kept on coming.
"We need to look into it and understand where that came from today," he grinned. "There's a few ideas we had.
"At the end of the day, there's no points for qualifying," he admitted. "We generally have good race pace, but the Ferraris looked very fast on Friday. We're going to be absolutely going for it, but either way, that was a pretty special day, no doubt."
Indeed, team boss, Toto Wolff believes that pole-winning lap suggests it's all still to play for in terms of the 2022 season.
"It's so difficult to say," he replied, when asked by Sky Sports if Mercedes is still in the title fight, "we have a very big points gap behind Max, like everybody else.
"But then you can see how it goes today when they are out of the fight at the front," he added. "We will never give up.
"We doubt all the time, we oscillate between depression and exuberance. That's what makes the sport so tough, and on the other side, so exciting. I wouldn't discount anything if we are able to win tomorrow.
"We need to write down everything we did this morning, including the food and drinks we drank, in order to replicate," he joked, before turning serious and adding: "I don't know how you say in English... one bird doesn't make a summer?
"That was a solid result. We were always off the pace over a single lap, now we are on pole. So let's see what we can do that tomorrow in the race and if we have the pace there I believe that we are part of the fun and games at the front again.
"If we can maintain the position at the start and be first after the first lap, have a solid stop and have a good race then why not. We can win this."
Check out our Saturday gallery from the Hungaroring here.