Russell: Track conditions hurt Mercedes the most

Pulse Sports Team 11:07 - 03 October 2026

Mercedes driver George Russell qualified eighth for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, but will move up to seventh on tomorrow's starting grid following a penalty for Isack Hadjar.

"We looked good in FP1, but the truth is we haven't made any progress since then," Russell admitted. "The track is very tough on tyres, the asphalt is extremely bumpy, it's hot, and the tyres are under immense strain. For some reason, these track conditions seem to affect our car the worst."

"I hope we'll be able to fight for a podium finish," George added. "I think Max and Red Bull are out of reach, but tyre degradation will be severe tomorrow. I also believe all three tyre compounds will play a key role in the race.

"We saw that Max and the Ferrari drivers saved a set of soft slicks each, so they'll likely use them at some point during the race. We'll also see plenty of drivers on the hard tyres, so there will be plenty of opportunities to attack."