F1 | Williams, George Russell: “I make no promises, but I'm fighting for Q2”

Positive day for Williams, especially with George Russell who took the FW1 to seventh place in FP43, eight tenths slower than leader Valtteri Bottas. The wind and the slippery track made the British driver fall back to thirteenth position, but Russell did not lose sight of the objective of Q2.

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"Of course the car has improved and the team is in great shape – Russell revealed – I think we are making the most of our package and I'm happy. There was a nice wind in the afternoon and it's no secret that we struggle with these conditions. I don't want to make promises and not keep them, but if the wind stops we can improve. This circuit is incredibly exposed and undulating so if you catch a gust of wind you can definitely feel it. Looking ahead to tomorrow, I think Q2 is the minimum for us and I hope we will fight for points tomorrow".

Different situation for Nicholas Latifi, who remains at the back: the Canadian is nineteenth in the morning, placing himself between the two Haas, and the trio's positions remain unchanged also in the afternoon session.

"All in all I am satisfied with my day – admitted Nicholas – we definitely have some work to do to find the pace we are missing before qualifying. In FP1 the car looked completely different compared to Imola. There are many knots on this track, corners that should be overcome easily, but not for me, especially in FP1. It's about a lack of feeling with the car. we tried some solutions in the afternoon which improved things slightly, but we basically had the same problems. It's not an ideal Friday, but we'll work before qualifying to find some rhythm".