A stunned George Russell said it was "nice" to find some pace in qualifying after he split the two title-chasing McLarens to take P2 in sprint qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver wedged himself between Oscar Piastri, who took pole positions for Saturday's sprint race, and Lando Norris in P3, who holds a 24-point lead over his teammate in the drivers' standings with two race weekends remaining.

Speaking after the session, Russell was quite surprised to find himself starting on the front row of the grid after a disappointing practice session earlier in the day.

"No, to be honest, I was P14 in practice!" said a shocked Russell to F1TV after his impressive P2 finish.

George Russell sits P4 in the drivers' championship with 294 points, thanks to two race wins and nine podiums - Photo: Race Pictures

"It's just nice, as my qualifications haven't been great recently. The last sessions, bar Singapore, haven't been good, so I was pretty happy to get a couple of good laps under my belt, and I was always sort of there or thereabouts throughout the session.

"This track, honestly, is such a joy to drive around. It's so quick, and the grip's so high, so it just feels great, it feels nice."

However, despite finding some pace to get back up towards the front of the grid, the Brit does not expect much on-track action throughout the sprint race, indicating that a potential change might be needed for the rest of the weekend.

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"I don't want to put a downer on it, but where we are at Turn 1 is probably going to be where we end up, really," continued Russell.

"We briefly spoke about it this morning in the driver's briefing about why the DRS hasn't been extended, and I hope, maybe after the sprint, they can adjust it if needed for the race.

"I think it will be challenging to overtake, but, obviously, we're in a good starting position, so we'll take it."

Oscar Piastri with Pirelli's Mario Isola after taking P1 in sprint qualifying - Photo: Race Pictures

Teams and drivers to navigate tyre trouble

Tyres have been the main topic of conversation in Qatar after it was announced mandatory two stop strategies would be brought in for Sunday's Grand Prix, with only 25 laps per stint allowed for the 57-lap race.

Friday also saw Pirelli report deep cuts and lacerations through the rubber of the tyres after Friday's running, caused by loose pieces of gravel on the track.

Tyre control and conservation will be vital throughout the rest of the weekend at the Losail International Circuit, as major championship implications are at stake, with Norris able to seal a maiden world title this weekend.

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