George Russell characterized his qualifying performance for the Miami Grand Prix as his most difficult of the 2025 Formula 1 season, despite securing fifth place on the grid.
Russell admitted he lacked confidence throughout the weekend leading up to qualifying, stating things had “not been clicking” for him on the Miami International Autodrome circuit.
The fifth-place result marked the first time this season that George Russell had been out-qualified by his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, who qualified third for the grand prix.
Antonelli had demonstrated strong pace earlier in the weekend, taking pole position for the sprint race. A pit lane incident involving Max Verstappen affected Antonelli's sprint result, but he rebounded in grand prix qualifying.
Russell reflected on his session, acknowledging he had been “really struggling” and that the setup and approach that worked earlier in 2025 did not translate to Miami.
He described it as his “worst quali of the year” but expressed surprise at how close he was to the front despite his difficulties. Russell finished less than two-tenths behind pole position.
Russell noted that the change in tire pressures implemented ahead of qualifying compounded existing issues the team faced with tire temperature management.
He suggested he had "taken a step backwards" this weekend compared to his teammate and the early races of the season. Russell's consistency in qualifying had been a strength previously in 2025.
Despite the challenges, he viewed P5 as a form of damage limitation given his lack of confidence in the car's front end, particularly in the middle sector of the track.
Russell indicated that Antonelli had been "exceptionally fast" and doing "a great job" throughout the event.
