Will Russell be the referee in the McLaren duel in Bahrain?

What if George Russell were to spring a surprise this weekend? Of course, after only two Free Practice sessions, it's impossible to say for sure... but on Friday, the Briton showed great form, reflecting his excellent start to the season. Forced to watch Free Practice 1 from the pit wall, after giving up his seat to Frederik Vesti for one session, the driver Mercedes displayed a solid pace in Free Practice 2, both in the race simulation and on a flying lap. Third in FP2, the Briton nevertheless lost more than five tenths to the McLaren, well ahead of Friday.

"We expected McLaren to have a head start here and we saw that today. We're still a long way into the second sector where the tires are overheating, so we know we have a bit of work to do, but I think we're in a position to fight to be among the top guys., said George Russell. The Ferrari were on course to do a pretty good lap but they struggled a bit in the last sector. I think it's going to be close between us, Ferrari and Max [Verstappen], but you never know.

Russell bets everything on the race, not the qualifying

However, this five-tenths gap does not worry George Russell: in fact, according to the Briton, the weekend's structure should be very different from the first three rounds of the season. Due to the high temperatures in Bahrain, race management should be much more crucial than in Japan, for example, which will open up opportunities for McLaren's rivals. "I really have the impression, unlike the last three races, that it won't be decided in qualifying, explained the Mercedes driverThis weekend, the important thing will be the pace of the race and the [degradation] of the tires. So of course, we want to have a good qualifying, but it's in the race that everything will be decided."

Fourth in the championship with already two podiums in three races and impressive consistency, George Russell has not yet had the opportunity to fight in direct confrontation with Lando Norris et Oscar piastriIn Bahrain, on a track that has always been difficult for McLarens, will the Briton be able to pull off a tricky Grand Prix run? The first clue will be provided on Saturday evening during qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix (18 p.m. French time).

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