Mercedes seeks answers after Russell’s qualifying setback

George Russell set the eighth-fastest time, but will start one place higher on the grid, as will his Mercedes teammate, following Isack Hadjar’s engine penalty. The result comes as the team is still trying to assess the impact of a major aerodynamic upgrade package, introduced at a circuit Formula 1 had not visited since 2017.

Mercedes fitted the new parts to both cars. As a result, the team could not compare the old and new configurations under identical conditions. Russell acknowledged that uncertainty remained: «That is the big question mark,» he said when asked whether the team was struggling to extract the potential of the upgrades.

The W17’s behaviour on Sepang’s abrasive surface has made the task harder. The car appears to have coped particularly poorly with the track, puzzling the team. «It’s very difficult to understand,» team principal Toto Wolff said.

Russell also stressed how unusual the circuit’s surface was, describing its abrasiveness as making it an outlier. He said parts of the track felt like gravel and believed Mercedes was being affected more than its rivals.

The upgrades include a substantially revised floor, with changes to its leading edge and diffuser, as well as to the components around the rear wheels. Yet both Mercedes drivers appeared to lose ground to their competitors between final practice and qualifying. Russell finished 0.741 seconds behind Max Verstappen’s pole time, despite having two attempts on new tyres in Q3.

The contrast with the preceding practice sessions has raised questions: the team’s figures point to an improvement, but Russell noted that lap times are what ultimately count. After describing qualifying as a very bad session, Mercedes must still establish what its new parts can deliver in these conditions.