Russell surprised by ‘amazing’ Mercedes car after taking pole in Australia

Formula One’s sweeping technical changes proved divisive among drivers, but there were few complaints from George Russell after he took pole position ahead of Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli at the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Russell’s pole lap was nearly eight-tenths of a second quicker than third-fastest Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull, underlining Mercedes’ promising form during winter testing.

While Red Bull’s four-times world champion Max Verstappen crashed out and McLaren’s...