Russell: Surprised how competitive we were

Mercedes headed into the second extended break on somewhat of a back foot. After a brilliant string of results from the Austrian to the Belgian Grands Prix which saw them secure three out of four wins, the Brackley-based outfit followed this up with just a single podium in the following four weekends.

However, Mercedes brought in a large swathe of upgrades to their W15 car, focussing primarily on improving aerodynamic performance. Initial signs seem to be very promising, as Russell managed to secure a front-row start around the high-speed Circuit of the Americas, losing out to Sprint polesitter Max Verstappen by just 0.012 seconds.

Meanwhile, teammate Hamilton was improving significantly on his second flying lap in SQ3, but had to lift off part-way through his attempt as Yellow flags were waved. The Briton ultimately ended up in seventh position.

While the drivers are undoubtedly feeling very different emotions now, they both have a positive outlook for the Sprint race on Saturday.

In a press release published by Mercedes, Russell admitted that he was surprised to beat the McLarens and Ferraris to the front row of the grid. He said: "I'm really happy with how today went. It has been a while since we qualified on the front-row so we can be pleased with the progress we have made.

"The update kit we brought here seems to be working well although it has surprised us a little how competitive we were today. Sprint Qualifying was a tricky session, but I was able to put my lap in SQ3 together. The final sector in particular was strong and that is what enabled us to take P2," added the British driver.

Russell expressed disappointment that Hamilton won't be starting near the head of the field with him, commenting on his teammate's misfortune: "Lewis was very quick today, and he was unlucky to be caught out by a yellow flag. We both should have been up there but it's great that, as a team, we were back in the mix today.

"It is also clearly very close with several other outfits including Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren. Hopefully we can continue this form into the weekend and look forward to fighting at the front," Russell concluded.

Hamilton reiterated Russell's words, going as far as to say he expected to qualify on pole if he would have been able to complete his lap. He stated: "That was a real shame today as I got unlucky with a yellow flag.

Nevertheless, Hamilton thanked his team for the recent upgrades, which appear to have propelled the team forward more than their competitors. He said: "The good thing is that we seem to have made a step forward with the car.

The 2024 United States Grand Prix Sprint commences Saturday 19 October at 19:00 BST (13:00 local time).