Heroic Russell Battles Brake Woes to Save Mercedes Podium

George Russell delivered under extreme pressure in Bahrain, overcoming major car issues to secure a crucial podium for Mercedes F1.

Russell didn’t just finish second in Bahrain, he survived a storm of technical gremlins to get there.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff admitted it was a tense few hours after the race, with Russell under investigation by the FIA for an apparent unauthorized use of DRS. After a deep dive into the telemetry and some context provided by the team, the FIA cleared Russell of any wrongdoing, and his hard-fought podium remained intact.

But that wasn’t the whole story.

“George saved this race for us,” Wolff said.
“We had an issue with the electronic braking system—what we call BBW—and he immediately adapted without losing time. That’s not just impressive, it’s borderline unbelievable.”

Wolff compared the experience to a power steering failure, where the driver suddenly has to alternate between turns with and without assistance.
“He had to constantly adjust to how the brake pedal responded, corner after corner. That takes real skill.”

And that wasn’t all. The team also faced problems with the steering wheel and a misbehaving DRS.
“The wing kept opening and closing randomly. There was no advantage, no pattern—we still don’t know if it was a wiring issue in the car or a glitch with the FIA’s loop system,” Wolff explained.

“There was even a moment we feared we’d lose the entire dashboard—no buttons, no gear shift lights, no feedback. And yet George stayed calm and focused.”

Despite the chaos, Russell kept his pace, looked after his soft tyres, and delivered when it mattered most.
“He defended like a lion. Massive respect to him,” Wolff added.

On the flip side, it was a learning weekend for Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli. He finished outside the points after a late gamble on soft tyres backfired—especially with the safety car arriving too soon after his pit stop.

“For Kimi, this was part of the learning curve,” Wolff said.
“We took a strategic risk, but in hindsight, hard tyres might’ve been the better call. He also struggled in his first two stints and pushed the tyres harder than ideal. That happens. He’ll come back stronger in Jeddah.”

So, Mercedes leaves Bahrain with mixed emotions. The podium finish was a welcome surprise on a track that punishes tyres and exposes car weaknesses. But the team knows it still has work to do.

“We weren’t expecting miracles here. Getting on the podium is a boost—but we’re still chasing that top step. And we won’t stop pushing.”

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Heroic Russell Battles Brake Woes to Save Mercedes Podium Heroic Russell Battles Brake Woes to Save Mercedes Podium

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