Mercedes left the F1 Saudi Arabian GP with both cars inside the top ten, but the result was bittersweet. The team had shown flashes of strong pace in practice and qualifying, yet struggled to convert that into a competitive race. Russell finished P5 after starting near the front, while Antonelli managed P6 after a demanding race that tested both drivers. Both drivers pointed to tyre management as the biggest challenge under the lights in Jeddah.
Russell’s race falls away with tyre wear
Russell made a strong start and stayed with the leading group, but as the tyres overheated, his early pace began to fade. Speaking after the race, he was clear that despite his efforts, the end result likely could not have been improved.
“It was obviously a disappointed race, but ultimately, had I managed more, I think the result would have been the same. So, we need to understand why it was so bad today, and why, relatively speaking, it was much better in Bahrain.”
Mercedes had looked solid throughout the weekend, especially over the long runs in practice. But once the race got going, the tyres began to drop off quicker than expected, and things started to fall apart. He explained just how quickly the tyres gave up grip during the second half of the race.
“Well, when you saw how much we dropped off at the end, it was a massive tyre overheating. We managed to hold on quite well at the beginning, and then it was actually quite hard to stay with Max, and then I just fell off the cliff. And we knew that was a possibility.”
Russell made it clear that P5 did not match the team’s expectations. Mercedes arrived in Jeddah with confidence after Bahrain, but tyre wear and hotter conditions caught them out.
“Yeah, I mean, definitely not satisfied with P5. We’ve had a good run so far. Today was a very bad day as a team, but I think there’s definitely some understanding to take from that, because we probably didn’t expect to be so competitive in Bahrain, and we probably expected to be more competitive today. So, there is pace in the car, but today was all about tyres, and we didn’t get it right.”
Russell also reacted to the Lap 1 moment between Verstappen and Piastri. Verstappen kept the lead after going off at Turn 1, and was later given a five-second penalty.
“I was quite surprised that he didn’t give the position back straight away, to be honest. But, yeah, nothing more to say about that.”
Antonelli’s Saudi Arabian GP effort holds steady despite struggles
Antonelli started P5 and got through the opening lap cleanly, staying out of the early trouble. He looked composed in the first stint, but it was a tough race from there. Struggles with tyre wear and car balance made it difficult to push, though he managed to hold on for P6 and more valuable points for Mercedes.
The 18-year-old found the race physically tough, battling heat and an unbalanced car, but came away with key takeaways for the races ahead.
“Yeah, it was not easy, because it was really hot in the car, and the deck was not so big, so it was pretty flat out. Yes, this one, I was quite under-balanced. So definitely good learning out of the next few races.”
Like Russell, Antonelli felt the race started to fall away once the tyre struggles kicked in.
“I think it’s a shame, because I lost a lot in the medium, and then on the hard I couldn’t really use that initial pace, because I was just trying to manage, because I had to do more laps than expected. So definitely need to review that scene in order for the future, so it can be better.”
Looking ahead
Mercedes now sit second in the Constructors’ standings with 111 points. McLaren lead the way on 188. The F1 Saudi Arabian GP gave Mercedes plenty to reflect on as they look ahead to future rounds and aim to unlock more consistent race pace.
