Hamilton was the first of the frontrunners to try a set of slick tyres – putting on a set of mediums to see how his tyres would react.
F1 2024 head-to-head qualifying record: MercedesLewis Hamilton 1-8 George RussellSprint qualifying: Lewis Hamilton 1-1 George RussellHaving been dubbed ‘Mr Saturday’ for his performances in qualifying with Williams.
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but it was Russell who took pole position after setting an identical lap time to Max Verstappen in Q3 – but held onto pole after setting a 1:12.
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Mercedes appeared to have been in the mix for pole all weekend so far.
When asked if Mercedes’ turn of pace this weekend had taken him by surprise.