Formula One - Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, 2026 Bahrain GP in Malaysia. Kimi Antonelli
Toughest Sunday of the Season in Malaysia
- Kimi Antonelli came home second with George Russell unfortunately failing to finish after a suspected power unit issue in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
- After a delayed start due to heavy rain, and then a subsequent aborted start sequence as several cars faced issues on the formation lap, the race finally got underway in mixed conditions.
- Both Kimi and George started on the Intermediate tyre, whilst several other cars opted for a slick tyre start.
- The Inter proved the correct choice and after both our drivers made lightning starts, they vaulted into first and second.
- After a lap 9 Safety Car afforded both cars the chance to take the Medium compound as the track dried, it became clear that we didn’t have the pace to challenge the Red Bull of Max Verstappen for victory.
- Despite that, Kimi and George ran relatively untroubled in P2 and P3 and looked on course to secure a double podium.
- However, George suffered a suspected power unit issue which forced his retirement just five laps from the end.
- Kimi held on to P2 at the flag after a tough weekend for the team.
- Our lead in the Constructors’ Championship has been trimmed to 151 points as we head to Singapore and the final race in this triple-header
Driver | Grid | Result | Fastest Lap | Start Tyre | Stop One | Stop Two | Stop Three |
Kimi Antonelli | P3 | P2 | 1:38.589 | Intermediate | Medium (L9) | Soft (L33) | Soft (L44) |
George Russell | P7 | DNF | 1:40.715 | Intermediate | Medium (L9) | Soft (L32) | Soft (L44) |
Kimi Antonelli
Overall, given our struggles this weekend, I think P2 was the maximum we could have achieved today. The conditions were really challenging, both with the difficult call on which tyre to start on, when to stop to take the slicks, and then when to stop and what compound to take to ensure we held on to second. The team did a good job with those calls, and I am pleased we were able to score solid points.
Despite that, we leave Malaysia frustrated. Our pace hasn’t been where we wanted it to be and we weren’t able to fight for victory. It was also extremely disappointing to see George retire when we were so close to such a good result for the team, and a double podium at what is one of the most significant races in our season. We will work hard ahead of Singapore to understand how we can improve and make sure we perform more strongly next weekend.
George Russell
That was another tough and disappointing day for me amongst several we have had this season. It is pure bad luck, but it still hurts. It is particularly tough as we were on for a podium and a great result for the team. I made a great start on the Intermediate but struggled a little once we moved to the Medium tyre. I felt much better once we were on the Soft compound and, whilst we were never in the fight for the win, our pace was good.
It’s such a shame to retire from the race when we were looking comfortable in P3. It would have been important points in the Constructors’ for the team and a double podium would have been a lovely reward for our Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS as their home race.
It’s not been an easy weekend, but our race pace was better than our qualifying performance on Saturday. That is encouraging but we will work hard as a team to understand why we have underperformed overall here in Malaysia and how we can make sure we are stronger in Singapore. It has been a tough season on my side of the garage, but we will keep fighting.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO
This has been our worst weekend of the season. It hurts, and I feel incredibly sorry for George and everyone in the team. George drove an outstanding race and was on course for a very strong result, but we let him down. The reality is that has happened too often this year, and that is not acceptable.
We were not quick enough, and we were not reliable enough in Malaysia. That is the truth. Both drivers kept fighting, stayed focused, and got everything out of the car that was possible though. Whilst George lost out through no fault of his own, Kimi did a very good job and deserved his podium.
Now we need to understand exactly what happened this weekend. We underperformed compared to our nearest competitors and our form in recent races. We will do so with our usual focus, by working diligently and being led by the data. We don't have many days before we are on track again, but we are determined to put on a better showing next week in Singapore.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director
Today was a difficult race to manage, particularly in the opening stages when we had to make several important decisions around tyre choice and crossover points as the conditions evolved. The team made good calls throughout the afternoon and we were able to maximise Kimi's race, bringing home a well-deserved podium. He drove a mature and controlled race and extracted everything that was available to him.
For George, it's incredibly frustrating. He was driving a strong race, managing the conditions well, and looked on course for a comfortable podium before his retirement. Losing a result like that at any race is painful, but especially when he has suffered so much bad luck so far this season.
Whilst there are positives we can take from today's race execution, we weren’t quick enough to fight for the win. We have a lot of data to review and very little time before we are back on track in Singapore. Our focus now is on understanding the factors that have contributed to this weekend's performance and identifying where we can improve. Singapore presents a very different challenge, and our job over the next few days is to make sure we arrive there better prepared and in a position to be more competitive.
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