George Russell concluded qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia in eighth position, marking a challenging session for Mercedes at the Sepang International Circuit. The British driver expressed dissatisfaction with the car’s performance, stating the result was not good.
Max Verstappen secured pole position for Red Bull Racing with a lap time of 1:35.130. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton qualified second, 0.298 seconds behind Verstappen.
Russell’s teammate, Kimi Antonelli, placed fourth in the session. This marked only the second time this season that Mercedes failed to secure a top-three qualifying position.
Russell’s best lap of 1:36.032 left him three-quarters of a second adrift of Verstappen’s pole time. He attributed some of the team’s struggles to tire issues on the abrasive Sepang tarmac.
The Mercedes driver indicated that a ‘big question mark’ now surrounds the effectiveness of the major upgrade package introduced for this race weekend. He described the session as ‘a very bad qualifying for us.’
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar initially qualified third but will incur a five-place grid penalty for the race due to an engine change. This will promote Antonelli to third on the grid.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc qualified fifth, followed by McLaren drivers Lando Norris in sixth and Oscar Piastri in seventh. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top ten.
The Sepang International Circuit, hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, is known for its demanding layout, combining long straights with various fast and flowing corners. The circuit’s abrasive surface contributes to high tire degradation.
The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia is scheduled to commence on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
