George Russell believes he extracted the “maximum potential” from Williams’ 2𝓡019 Formula 1 car during qualifying for the season-openin꧟g Australian Grand Prix. 

Williams has endurꦐed a tumultuous start to the 2019 campaign after delays with its uncompetitive FW42 left the team on the back foot having missed the opening tw𒅌o days of pre-season testing. 

The Grove-based squad finished four seco🅠nds off the pace in qualifying for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, leaving the team adrift at the back of the Melbourne grid in 19th and 20th.

21-year-old rookie Russell outpaced teammate Robert Kubica by 1.7s as the Pole suffered a puncture after hitting the wall on 🌸his final run in Q1.

“I think Barcelona I was proba👍bly at 99 percent but today, that was our maximum p🍌otential,” Russell said. 

“I think positively in the sense form my side and engineers was we got the maximum out of💛 the package we’ve got. 

“I was very satisfied to be honest and I think overall the♍ car was very nice to drive. Myself and my two engineers who are the main focus of get𓂃ting the most out of our side of the garage did a really great job.

“All three laps in Q1 I crossed the line with a smile on my fac𒐪e and felt like I got the most out of it, but obviously overall we want more than that, and obviously I want to be in the car longer than the first 18 minute of Q1.”

Russell revealed William♎s is suffering from a “fundamental” issue the team is currently worki🔴ng to understand, though he admitted a fix could be months away. 

“We understand what that is but it doesn’t meanꦡ we can wake up on Monda🐈y morning and rectify it,” Russell explained. 

“To change something so fundamental will take months of development and work in the simulator, the designers work⭕ing out how to♕ do it, but that’s what needs to be done at the moment. 

“Unfortunately we’re looking at a number of races before we’re 🔯going to be able to fight. That’s just where we are at the moment.

“I think once we’ve solved that fundamental there’ll be a big leap, we’ll probably still be🍸 at the back of the grid but with a cha🍒nce to fight. 

"At the moment the fact is we don’t really have any hope because we’re too far behind.”&nbs💦p;

The Briton said he would 🍌be approaching his grand pr🧸ix debut as a test session to continue learning about Williams’ 2019 car, adding he has no interest in fighting Kubica for “19th place”. 

“The main job 🧔now is to reall♒y help the team understand the weaknesses and how to go forward,” he explained. 

“I’ve got no interest in fighting Robert for 19^th place, we want to wo🐲rk together to push the team forward, we’re not here for that.”