Mercedes endured its most complicated qualifying session of the season at Sepang, as FormulaUno.it reports, wrapping up the day with Kimi Antonelli in fourth position and George Russell in eighth. Thanks to a grid penalty for Hadjar, however, both drivers will move up one spot on the grid.
Antonelli admitted to a mistake in Q2 that left him with only a single set of tyres remaining for the rest of the session. While his pace was never quite enough to challenge for pole position, the Italian explained his struggles on a unique circuit characterized by heavily aggressive asphalt and incredible heat. "This circuit is unique, with a very aggressive asphalt and incredibly high temperatures," Antonelli noted, adding that the team will review the data overnight to dissect their errors.
If we had installed the upgrade package last week, even if it had been worse, we probably still would have got pole position,
Reflecting on his Q2 track limit violation that forced an early switch to new soft tyres, Antonelli admitted he placed significant pressure on himself for Q3. Even so, he conceded that challenging Max Verstappen for pole was out of reach. "It looked like he had the fastest car all weekend and that was the case today too," Antonelli said, though he acknowledged that third position on the grid offers a decent starting point. Looking ahead to the race, he highlighted high tyre degradation, potential multi-stop strategies, and the ever-present threat of rain as key variables.
Both drivers are holding off on a definitive verdict regarding the team's new upgrade package. Antonelli explained that the squad is still working to understand how the parts operate, pointing out that the car was slightly outside its optimal balance window on the abrasive Sepang surface. Russell echoed that sentiment when asked if this was his toughest weekend of the year, replying simply, "No, to be honest."
The British driver pointed to the extreme nature of the Sepang track, noting that lap times are significantly slower than they were seven years ago and that driving certain sections feels akin to navigating gravel. Addressing the upgrade package head-on, Russell explained the difficulty of evaluating new components without a direct back-to-back comparison. "If we had installed the upgrade package last week, even if it had been worse, we probably still would have got pole position," Russell said.
While the theoretical numbers from the development data look correct and align with expectations, Russell stressed that on-track reality matters most in motorsport. "Obviously, in a sport like this, we must follow the lap times and not the numbers," he stated. Despite the qualifying disappointment, Russell remains focused on race day, emphasizing that massive tyre degradation will make race pace the ultimate deciding factor.
