George Russell finished second in first practice but dropped to seventh in the second session at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, describing his Mercedes as off the pace despite introducing their biggest upgrade package since May. Russell was 0.383 seconds behind Max Verstappen in first practice and 0.492 seconds off Charles Leclerc's pace in second practice.
The Mercedes driver believes the team needs setup adjustments rather than changes to the upgrade package itself, which includes seven updated components focused on the car floor, rear suspension and bodywork. Russell told F1 TV the cars are operating in a very different window due to tire degradation and overheating in Malaysia's hot conditions.
Russell made an error in the final sector during second practice that prevented him from setting a competitive lap time on soft tires. His teammate Kimi Antonelli also struggled, finishing fifth and eighth in the two sessions respectively as the championship leader had his worst practice day of the season.
The upgrade package represents Mercedes' first significant development since the Canadian Grand Prix, featuring a revised floor and new sidepods that move away from their undercut geometry. Russell expressed feeling the downforce in corners but said tire overheating issues overshadowed the aerodynamic improvements at the demanding Sepang circuit.