Mercedes brought their eagerly awaited upgrade to the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, but the team is left questioning whether it’s a progress or a setback. Kimi Antonelli and George Russell faced a tough qualifying session, finishing fourth and eighth respectively, far from the dominant form they’ve shown at most races this season. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed pole position, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton joining him on the front row. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff expressed confusion after the session, noting that the car seemed overly draggy on the straights and suffered from understeer in slow corners—behaviors not seen before. ‘It’s really hard to get a grip on what’s happening,’ Wolff said, emphasizing the need to dig into the data. Russell, who won the previous race in Baku, acknowledged that while the numbers suggest an improvement, the track result tells a different story. ‘The data looks fine, but we have to go by lap times, not just figures,’ he remarked. Antonelli, who leads the championship, found the upgraded car puzzling, especially in low-speed sections where they lacked pace. Despite the confusion, both drivers believe the race could still offer insights, with Antonelli focusing on managing tire degradation and consolidating his lead. The team plans to analyze the package further, hoping the next race in Singapore will provide clearer answers.
