The psychological breakthrough behind Russell beating Hamilton in F1 2024 quali 

George Russell places his complete Method 1 2024 defeat of former Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying all the way down to being “psychologically in a very good place”. 

The 26-year-old ended the 2024 season with a 24-6 qualifying report towards Hamilton, with all classes together with people who set the grid for dash occasions considered. 

This compares with their 8-12 and 15-13 data from 2022 (when there have been simply three sprints total and just one qualifying session on every such weekend, therefore the decrease complete) and 2023. 

Hamilton usually struggled to take care of promising follow type throughout his last Mercedes marketing campaign with the troublesome W15, the place Russell additionally led him within the factors standings and every completed the season with two wins apiece. 

This could have been a 3-1 break up in Russell’s favour however for his Spa on-the-road victory being misplaced for his automobile/driver post-race weight complete coming in 1.5kg underneath the minimal allowed in F1’s guidelines. 

When requested by Autosport why he feels he was so good at qualifying in comparison with Hamilton on the latest 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Russell replied: “I simply really feel actually assured throughout the automobile, assured inside myself.  

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos

“I really feel psychologically I am in a very good place, particularly in the case of these high-pressure eventualities to get essentially the most out of myself.  

“I am not gonna evaluate towards my team-mate, however simply when it comes to my very own private efficiency, I really feel [I’m] driving higher than ever.” 

Russell additionally mentioned he felt even higher in himself in comparison with the beginning of 2024, when it turned clear he can be set to steer Mercedes as Hamilton determined to hitch Ferrari for 2025. 

“Each driver is able to doing nice laps and nice performances, however when the strain’s up and it comes all the way down to that one lap in Q3 – that is the place it comes all the way down to your headspace, actually,” Russell mentioned of how his psychological feeling had impacted his 2024 outcomes.  

“And I really feel like I’ve discovered rather a lot about myself and how one can get essentially the most out of myself. And for everybody it is totally different. However I simply know in myself what works for me.” 

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