Russell stressed that getting the tyres to work effectively in the face of changing track temperatures was the biggest challenge faced by all drivers, and he conceded that his team “got it wrong.”
Mercedes had a difficult Friday, with Lewis Hamilton finishing FP2 in seventh, and Russell in 10th.
Both drivers believed that there was scope for improvement on Saturday, but despite making some positive changes to their cars overnight they finished qualifying in sixth and eighth respectively.
"We definitely did,” said Russell when asked by Autosport if the team made progress. “But it was just a totally up and down day.
“In FP3, we were the quickest at points and showed really strong pace. Went out in Q1 with no grip, off the pace. Q2, the car felt back to normal, and we were quick. And we went out in Q3, and the same happened again.
“I think probably Daniel [Ricciardo] was the only driver today who was the most consistent. The Ferraris were off the pace at points. And then obviously Alex [Albon] was the quickest at points, obviously, he should have been in Q3 but wasn't. It's pretty frustrating when it's like this."
Source: Autosport