Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsGeorge Russell said Sepang’s abrasive asphalt felt like driving on gravel as Mercedes struggled in qualifying for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. He qualified eighth in 1:35.871, while teammate Kimi Antonelli was fourth in 1:35.631. Russell was due to start seventh after Isack Hadjar’s penalty, but he said Mercedes did not know why it had lost pace.
Why did Russell say Sepang felt like gravel?
Russell was describing the circuit’s abrasive tarmac and difficult grip conditions, not claiming that gravel covered the racing surface. Motorsport Week quoted him saying: “Seven years ago we were about six or seven seconds faster and at certain points on the track it feels like you’re driving on gravel.” The comparison is Russell’s recollection, not an independently verified historical lap-time statistic.
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Sepang’s surface and the resulting tyre demands were part of the challenge, but the available reports do not quantify how much they affected Mercedes relative to its rivals.
How far off the leaders was Mercedes in qualifying?
The official classification put Max Verstappen first in 1:35.130, Antonelli fourth in 1:35.631 and Russell eighth in 1:35.871. Those times show a 0.741-second gap between Russell and Verstappen, and a 0.240-second gap between Russell and Antonelli.
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- #63 George Russell
| Driver | Qualifying position | Time | Gap to Verstappen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | 1st | 1:35.130 | — |
| Kimi Antonelli | 4th | 1:35.631 | +0.501 |
| George Russell | 8th | 1:35.871 | +0.741 |
These are qualifying positions, not the starting grid. Formula 1 reported that Hadjar’s penalty meant Russell was due to start seventh. The event was held at Sepang International Circuit and billed as the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia; the official classification covers the October 2–4, 2026 event.
Why was Mercedes slower than expected?
There was no confirmed diagnosis in Russell’s post-qualifying comments. He said Mercedes had been off Red Bull’s pace from Friday and had not made the progress it expected over the weekend. Asked about the reason, he told Formula 1: “We don’t know, in all honesty.”
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Mercedes had brought a substantial upgrade package, with revisions to the floor edge, sidepods and rear diffuser. Russell said on Friday that he could feel extra downforce in some corners, but tyre overheating and degradation made it harder to assess the update. The reports do not establish that the upgrades caused the qualifying deficit or that Mercedes had a confirmed correlation problem.
Could the race be better for Russell?
Russell’s pre-race expectation was that the race could be a different story. He pointed to high tyre degradation and said all three compounds appeared viable, conditions he thought could let him move forward and fight for a podium. That was his outlook before the race, not a guaranteed result or evidence that Mercedes had solved its qualifying problem.
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Sources
- Formula 1: Russell left perplexed by qualifying pace in Sepang, October 3, 2026.
- Formula 1: Official 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia qualifying classification, Sepang, October 2–4, 2026.
- Motorsport Week: George Russell laments ‘very bad qualifying’ for Mercedes in Sepang, October 3, 2026.
- Formula 1: Mercedes suffer one of the ‘toughest Fridays’ of the season, October 2, 2026.
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