MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: How Russell held onto a brilliant P2 in Bahrain – despite car failures, tyre woes and a charging Norris on his tail


George Russell’s second place in the Bahrain Grand Prix was a superb demonstration of composure as he fought off the attacks of Lando Norris in the late stages, while dealing with an array of control system glitches in his Mercedes.
Even without the failed transponder, loss of dashboard functions, the failure of the DRS (drag reduction system) to automatically arm itself and the brake-by-wire function disappearing, Russell would already have been facing a difficult challenge in keeping the medium-tyred Norris behind him on a set of soft tyres.
Next Up
Related Articles
Tsunoda's best moments in F1 as he departs the grid
Hulkenberg pleased to score points in Sauber’s final race
TremayneWhy ‘true racer’ Marko will be missed as he leaves Red Bull
Norris 'doesn't follow typical stereotype of world champion' – Sainz
Sainz hopes point-less finish in Abu Dhabi ‘serves as a wake-up call’
F1 ACADEMY unveils calendar for 2026 season
