While delighted to have split the two McLarens in qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix, George Russell believes it will be a tall order to get the better of both in the race.

Russell secured a front row start behind Oscar Piastri, who claimed his first career pole position. The Mercedes driver's final qualifying attempt proved surprisingly successful despite earlier struggles with tire management.

"It feels incredible," Russell said. "It was one of the hardest qualifying sessions I've done in a long time. We did something totally different on that last lap and it just all came alive. I was really surprised when I crossed the line to see I was between the McLarens."

Despite his strong qualifying performance and teammate Lewis Hamilton's Sprint race victory, Russell remains realistic about his chances in the main race:

"It's going to be tough. The medium tire in the Sprint was really difficult, and most drivers will start on that tomorrow. Nobody has run the hard tire all weekend, so we don't know if it's going to be a one- or two-stop race."

Russell acknowledged McLaren's superior pace while noting potential variables for the race: "McLaren are going to be quick, but we'll be doing everything to try and stay where we are or try and jump ahead of them. The hard tire nobody's run yet, so I expect a slightly different outcome."

Ferrari's strong Sprint race performance adds another element of uncertainty to Sunday's Grand Prix, making the race strategy and tire management crucial factors in the final outcome.

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