Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff showered praise on driver George Russell for his remarkable second-place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix, describing his performance as an “unbelievable drive” despite a series of technical challenges that plagued his Mercedes W16. Russell’s resilience under pressure secured a crucial podium for the Silver Arrows, splitting the dominant McLaren duo of race winner Oscar Piastri and third-placed Lando Norris.
Starting third on the grid, Russell made an early move to overtake Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at Turn 1, positioning himself as Piastri’s closest challenger. However, the race was far from straightforward for the 27-year-old Briton. His W16 suffered multiple issues, including a brake-by-wire failure, a transponder malfunction that caused him to disappear from timing screens, and a DRS glitch that led to a post-race investigation. Additionally, Russell had to manage used soft tires for over 24 laps in the final stint, a strategic gamble that tested his skill against a charging Norris on fresher rubber.
“What he did today secured us this podium,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1 after the race. “Managing the system while keeping Norris behind him was just unbelievable. It’s like driving a road car when the power steering fails, adjusting between corners with and without it. His focus and skill were phenomenal.”
The brake-by-wire issue, in particular, posed a significant challenge. Wolff likened it to a road car losing power-assisted steering, explaining that Russell had to manually adjust settings to reset the system while fending off Norris. “It took a while to find the settings to reset it, but he managed it without losing concentration,” Wolff said. “We also feared losing the entire dashboard, which would’ve meant no buttons, no settings, no shift lights.”
Russell’s composure was further tested by a DRS infringement when the system opened inadvertently outside the designated zone. The stewards investigated but opted not to penalize him, citing a precedent set by Sergio Perez in 2018 and confirming that Russell backed off to avoid gaining an advantage. “I clicked the radio button, and the DRS opened for a split second,” Russell explained. “I closed it immediately, lost more time than I gained, and nothing was gained from it.”
Despite the car’s limitations, Russell’s ability to nurse the soft tires for an extended stint was a highlight. “Taking the soft for such a long time was great, balancing managing and attacking when he needed to,” Wolff noted. The strategy paid off, as Russell held off Norris by a narrow margin, though he admitted, “One more lap, and he would’ve got me comfortably.”
Wolff also addressed Mercedes’ broader performance, noting that the team exceeded expectations at a circuit where high temperatures and a rough track surface were expected to pose challenges. “We qualified P2 and P4, and to finish solidly on the podium is better than we anticipated,” he said. However, he remained cautious about catching McLaren in the constructors’ standings, trailing by 58 points. “We’re missing a few tenths, but we’ll see how the season unfolds,” Wolff added.
Russell, now fourth in the drivers’ championship, just 14 points behind leader Norris, was pragmatic about Mercedes’ title prospects. “I’d love to say we’re contenders, but McLaren are too dominant right now,” he said. “This was probably their peak performance, but they’ve been strong even at their worst.”
The cause of the W16’s technical woes remains under investigation, with Wolff speculating that wiring issues or a failure in the F1 system may have triggered the problems. “We don’t know yet, but we’ll work to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.