"Mercedes" team driver George Russell was surprised by the performance of his rivals in the sprint qualifying stage of the Miami Grand Prix. The British driver highly appreciated the progress made by "McLaren" and "Ferrari" thanks to their new upgrade packages.
Idman.Biz reports that both rival teams brought extensive innovations to Miami.
In particular, the 11 different innovations implemented by "Ferrari", including a new rear wing, have given them the opportunity to compete at the front. In the qualifying stage, Lando Norris finished first, Oscar Piastri third, and Charles Leclerc fourth.
While Russell's teammate Kimi Antonelli took second place, George himself could only manage sixth. He even fell behind "Red Bull" driver Max Verstappen.
The "Mercedes" team plans to introduce its next major upgrade package only at the Canadian Grand Prix. Russell stated that overheating of the tires and problems with the car's balance caused him to fall behind against the background of rivals.