George Russell has indicated Mercedes could be in for another strong weekend at the Bahrain GP.
Despite breathtaking displays at the previous Grand Prix’s, George Russell has chosen to focus on the performance of the W16, and the competition ahead.
The 27-year-old F1 driver has finished on the podium twice at Australia and China with a P3 result. Having missed the opening session in FP1, due to his seat being filled by rookie Frederik Vesti. Russell understood the difference in performance between the McLaren MCL39 and Mercedes’ W16 cars.
“It [FP2] was OK. We expected McLaren to be a step ahead here, and we saw that today. They were strongest in the middle sector where the tyres are overheating, so we know we’ve got a bit of work to do if we want to challenge them.”
Russell then continued:
“I think we’re in a position fighting for the next best behind them in all honesty.”
He added that the competition would be close between the Mercedes’ W16. Ferrari’s SF-25 and Red Bull’s RB21 are rivals. He says he ‘saw both teams performing strongly at different points throughout the day’.
Russell’s race prediction at the Bahrain GP 2025
Russell also commented on the race weekend and that unlike in races such as Suzuka that the race is the main event and not in the qualifying sessions.
Russell said: “Unlike the last three races, this won’t be dominated by Qualifying”.
This comes after the Japanese GP, where Russell qualified P5 and finished in the same position, along with teammate Kimi Antonelli, who started in P6 and finished in P6.
Instead, Russell focused on the race ahead and put in his predictions on the aptitude of the driver and the tyres’ life cycle.
“This weekend is going to be dominated by race pace and by tyre degradation. Of course, you want to have a good Qualifying, but the race is where the action will be.”
