P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell has admitted surprise over Mercedes’ pace following Thursday practice in Bahrain and believes Max Verstappen’s advantage has shortened since testing.
George Russell believes Max Verstappen’s advantage over the rest of the Formula 1 field has decreased since pre-season testing last week. Red Bull failed to top either of the opening two practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Thursday, with Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton ending FP2 as the fastest driver. Hamilton admitted that he was surprised by Mercedes’ pace out of the block having struggled for front-running form over the last two seasons. While Russell was also positively surprised by the W15’s performance, the Briton explained that he feels Verstappen is still the driver to beat. Russell emphasized the need to understand the increase in performance, maintaining focus on fighting for victory. Hamilton led the field in FP2, with Russell closely behind, looking optimistic for qualifying but wary of the challenge in the race ahead.
