Ferrari’s stunning performance in Sprint Qualifying at Silverstone caught almost everyone by surprise—including Mercedes driver George Russell. The SF-26 completely overturned pre-weekend expectations, leaving Mercedes searching for answers after Lewis Hamilton secured Sprint pole on a circuit that many believed should have suited the W17.
What surprised George Russell the most was not only Ferrari’s outright pace but the fact that the Scuderia managed to outperform Mercedes in areas where the Brackley-based team has usually held a clear advantage throughout the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Ferrari defies expectations at Silverstone
Heading into the British Grand Prix weekend, very few people expected Ferrari to be so competitive over a single lap. Silverstone’s long straights and demanding energy management requirements appeared to favour Mercedes, whose power unit has generally delivered superior performance on circuits where electrical deployment plays a crucial role.
Even Ferrari’s own drivers admitted during Thursday’s FIA press conference that they feared the straight-line deficit could become even larger than it had been at previous races.
Instead, Ferrari has emerged as one of the biggest surprises of the weekend.
Interestingly, the other two Ferrari-powered teams failed to progress beyond SQ1. However, Audi’s competitiveness on a circuit traditionally considered heavily dependent on engine performance suggested that intelligently managing the limited electrical energy available under the current FIA regulations could make a significant difference.
The situation also came as an unexpected shock for Mercedes, which had arrived at Silverstone expecting to be the benchmark thanks to the combination of aerodynamic efficiency, downforce and one of the strongest power units on the grid.
Although Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished only 11 thousandths of a second behind Lewis Hamilton, it was clear that Mercedes would have plenty of data to analyse overnight. In many respects, the Brackley team had been beaten at its own game.
George Russell: “Some things don’t make much sense”
Speaking after Sprint Qualifying, George Russell openly admitted he was surprised by Ferrari’s performance, especially because the SF-26 had looked competitive not only over a single lap but also during Friday’s long-run simulations.
That represented a significant improvement compared to Austria, where Ferrari struggled to manage the rear tyres over race distance, leading to excessive tyre degradation: “We’re very surprised, really very surprised,” George Russell said after qualifying. “They’ve struggled with the power unit and energy management, yet here they seem to be the best at the moment, so it’s been a huge surprise. We’ve always known they have a great chassis, but yes… I think some things don’t make much sense.”
The Mercedes driver acknowledged the quality of Ferrari’s chassis, suggesting that the SF-26 had once again demonstrated one of its greatest strengths.
George Russell went even further, admitting that before arriving at Silverstone he would have expected the competitive order to be exactly the opposite: “If I had made a prediction, I would have said Ferrari would be quick last week in Austria and we would be quick this week. Obviously Kimi did a great job, but Ferrari had the upper hand throughout the day.”
Ferrari’s upgrades continue to deliver
Ferrari’s pace through Silverstone’s high-speed corners has echoed what was already seen in Barcelona earlier this season.
The SF-26 has consistently been one of the strongest cars in fast corners, and the aerodynamic upgrades introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix continue to produce the gains Ferrari had hoped for. The additional downforce generated by the updated package has allowed the car to remain competitive through Silverstone’s flowing sections, while improved energy management has further strengthened its overall performance.
George Russell searching for answers after fifth place
George Russell ultimately qualified fifth, finishing among a tightly packed group of drivers separated by only three tenths of a second from Lewis Hamilton.
Just a few hundredths would have been enough to move ahead of Max Verstappen into third place, but the fact that teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli outqualified him by three tenths represented a far more worrying statistic for the British driver.
“That’s been the story of our season, to be honest—we’re always chasing,” George Russell admitted. “Usually we manage to find something extra in Q3, but today that wasn’t really the case. We came very close to third place, but we were still a long way off Lewis and Kimi’s pace, so we need to understand why. It’s a bit strange.”
Despite the disappointing result, George Russell remained relatively positive about the overall behaviour of the Mercedes.
“The feeling in the car was actually pretty good—it wasn’t bad at all. We all thought it would be much more difficult to drive these cars here, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and the car felt quick through the fast corners. But, as I said, the lap time simply wasn’t there, so we need to understand why.”
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