Mercedes on the Backfoot? | Bahrain Grand Prix 2026

Tyre degradation was the order of the day in free practice 1 and free practice 2, with the teams and drivers still getting used to the highly abrasive surface. Red Bull looks most comfortable, with Max Verstappen topping FP1, while the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli languishing in the midfield after the day's running. With Mercedes major upgrade package this weekend, eberyone was expecting more, as Jake Boxall-Legge explains...