Russell accepts McLaren pace, but eyes ‘next best’ for Mercedes

George Russell believes Mercedes are in the hunt for “the next best” result behind McLaren after the papaya team dominated Friday’s free practice sessions at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri topped FP1 and FP2 respectively, with the Australian’s blistering lap in the cooler evening session placing him over half a second clear of the rest of the field — led by Russell.

The Briton, who sat out FP1 to allow Mercedes junior Frederik Vesti some track time, returned in FP2 and finished third-fastest behind the McLaren duo.

Accepting McLaren’s Edge

Despite a strong showing, Russell was quick to acknowledge McLaren’s superiority under the Sakhir floodlights.

“We expected McLaren to be a step ahead here and we saw that today,” he admitted.

The MCL39’s prowess was most evident in Bahrain’s middle sector, where tyre overheating exposed Mercedes’ weaknesses.

“Long way ahead in the middle sector where tyres are overheating so we know we’ve got a bit of work to do but I think we’re in a position fighting for the next best I think,” Russell noted.

McLaren’s half-second gap was daunting, but he saw a realistic fight brewing for the spots just behind as he sized up the competition with a measured tone.

“I think the Ferraris were on course for a pretty good lap, I think they had a bit of a bad last sector but I think it’s going to be close between ourselves, Ferrari and Max [Verstappen] but we just never know to be honest,” he said.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Verstappen, despite a lackluster seventh, were within striking distance. Russell sensed a tight battle, but McLaren’s pace was in a league of its own.

A Race-Driven Weekend

Unlike the season’s opening races, where qualifying dictated results, Russell believes Bahrain will hinge on race craft.

“I definitely feel, unlike the last three races, this won’t be dominated by qualifying, this weekend is going to be dominated by race pace, tyre [degradation].

“So of course you want to have a good qualifying but the race is where the action will be,” he explained.

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Bahrain’s abrasive track and high tyre wear will likely reward teams that master long-run pace, giving Mercedes a chance to shine if they nail their setup overnight.

Antonelli bounces back after early setback

Russell’s rookie team mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli suffered a disrupted Friday, completing just three laps in FP1 due to a mechanical problem.

Despite missing valuable track time, the young Italian bounced back in the evening session, placing fifth and within two tenths of Russell’s best.

“Unfortunately I had an intercooler issue with the car so I had to stop and couldn’t drive for the rest of the session which obviously was a shame because you don’t want to be wasting any laps,” the teenager explained.

“I think FP2 was quite positive. Single lap it felt quite good, I made a big mistake in sector one but overall I felt pretty good in the car.

“Long run was quite tricky, the situation was completely different compared to what we had in testing. So I needed to adapt but overall I think, despite the issue in FP1, was still a positive day.”

While McLaren appears out of reach at this early stage of the weekend, both Russell and Antonelli are encouraged by their one-lap pace and hope overnight adjustments will improve their long-run performance.

With strategy and tyre management expected to play a crucial role on race day, Mercedes will aim to sharpen its tools in time for qualifying – and be ready to pounce on any opportunity to close the gap to the front.

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