Russell believed he had a realistic shot at pole position at Yas Marina after topping the final practice session on Saturday afternoon, but he wound up fourth in the evening shootout - lapping 0.343 seconds shy of Red Bull polesitter Max Verstappen.
While Russell reckoned that, in isolation, fourth place was no mean feat, the Briton said the result ended what had been a “strange day” as the grip faded aboard the W14.
