Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed his disappointment, calling the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix performance their “worst” of the current season. Neither George Russell nor Kimi Antonelli could compete for a podium finish in the race.
Russell began the race in third place, but his performance declined over the course of the Grand Prix, despite initially hoping to challenge for the lead. After pitting for hard tires, the British driver lost significant time, ultimately finishing 27 seconds behind winner Oscar Piastri.
Russell commented that tire issues were central, stating the tires were “massively overheating.” He explained that he pushed hard early in the second stint to keep pace with Max Verstappen but realized he couldn`t sustain it. Russell described a significant drop in performance towards the end, losing about a second per lap in the final 15 laps. He felt the pace simply wasn`t there and even maximum effort would only yield fifth place.
While finishing fifth on a difficult day was acceptable, he stressed the need for rapid improvement. Wolff expressed confusion over why Mercedes faced these tire problems while competitors like Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren seemed to improve their pace during the race.
Wolff reiterated that it was “clearly our worst performance” of the season, noting the pace loss due to “blistering” and overheating tires, and admitting they currently lacked an explanation. He added that starting the race with expectations of being the second-fastest team, and then seeing the actual outcome, significantly amplified the team`s frustration.
Russell on Tire Problems
Despite missing a podium in Saudi Arabia, Russell maintained his record of finishing every race in the top five this season. He is currently 26 points behind the championship leader, Piastri. This tire issue was surprising, especially since degradation hadn`t been a problem for Mercedes at other demanding tracks like China and Bahrain.
Russell speculated that the problem might relate to cornering speed, causing their tires to generate more temperature than rivals` cars. He described the tires suddenly losing performance, feeling “like a balloon,” leading to blistering on both front and rear tires and a complete loss of grip.
Understanding the difference between their positive performance in Bahrain (also an overheating track) and the issues in Jeddah is crucial, as the type of overheating might differ. They had anticipated a strong showing in Saudi Arabia, making the result particularly disappointing and highlighting the need for analysis.
Antonelli`s Experience
Kimi Antonelli finished the race just seven seconds behind Russell and, notably, did not experience the same tire problems towards the end. The 18-year-old rookie stated that his final 10-15 laps were “pretty positive.”
He plans to review his first stint, during which he struggled with car balance and easily lost performance on the front tire, leading to an earlier pit stop. Antonelli had to manage the hard tires carefully but was able to push in the final laps and was pleased with his pace then.
Antonelli, one of the youngest F1 drivers ever, admitted to brushing the wall twice, calling it “really scary.” Despite appearing tired after the race, the young Italian rookie has consistently performed relatively close to Russell and stands out among the new drivers after five races.
Antonelli described the recent three-race sequence as a valuable learning experience and a good physical and mental test. Experiencing three diverse tracks and race situations provided valuable insights. He identifies needing to improve on circuits with high degradation, although he found managing the car in the second stint in Saudi Arabia to be positive, building on lessons from Bahrain. Antonelli plans to use his upcoming week off to analyze data and prepare to improve for the next race.
