BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Mercedes junior driver George Russell finished this week's in-season test at the Hungaroring at the top of the timesheets after clocking a new track record on Wednesday afternoon.
The F2 championship leader beat the record set by Antonio Giovinazzi in the Ferrari on Tuesday by 0.073s with a best time of 1:15.649. The lap was set on Pirelli's hyper-soft tyres and was enough to finish 0.074s ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, who was using the same hyper-soft tyre compound on the Ferrari.
Although Russell's quick lap is unlikely to have an impact on his future in Formula One, his two solid days behind the wheel of the W09 will have boosted Mercedes' desire to find him in a race seat elsewhere on the grid in 2019.