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Mercedes was down more than half a second per lap in terms of car performance in the Bahrain Grand Prix due to reliability issues, according to team principal Toto Wolff. George Russell qualified t…
According to team principal Toto Wolff, Mercedes faced significant car performance issues in the Bahrain Grand Prix due to reliability concerns, trailing by more than half a second per lap. Despite George Russell starting third and Lewis Hamilton ninth, both drivers were optimistic about their race pace potential after strong showings in practice. However, during the race, Ferrari emerged as Red Bull’s closest rival, with Russell finishing fifth and over 45 seconds behind Verstappen due to car problems. Wolff explained that engine cooling issues forced them to reduce power, costing them 0.5-0.6s per lap, which hampered their competitiveness. Acknowledging Verstappen’s extraordinary performance, Wolff admitted that Mercedes might face a challenging season similar to 2023 when the Red Bull driver dominated.
