SEPANG, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team’s Kimi Antonelli admitted second place was the maximum the team could achieve in the Formula 1 (F1) Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (GP) at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) here today.
The current drivers’ standings leader said the Bahrain GP in Malaysia 2026 champion Max Verstappen proved too quick as the Red Bull Racing driver claimed his maiden title of the season after a rain-hit and action-packed race in the iconic Malaysian circuit.
Antonelli said the Silver Arrows struggled to match Red Bull Racing’s pace throughout the weekend, while the rough track surface and high temperatures here also made it difficult for the team to assess its new package.
“I think we're still trying to understand the new package because this track, with such a rough tarmac and high temperatures, made our life more difficult.
“Probably, you know, next week in Singapore GP (Oct 9-11) we hopefully will have a better read on the package, also understanding what setup needs to be run, but I think today with the pace we had, P2 (second place) was the maximum we could have achieved,” he told a post-race press conference.
Previously, the Brackley-based team in the United Kingdom brought an updated front wing and several components to improve local load and the rear corner, among others, to the Canadian GP last May.
It was reported that Mercedes brought its next major upgrade to the Bahrain GP in Malaysia as it looked to strengthen its performance against its rivals this season.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who completed the podium in third place, said his decision to start on soft tyres initially appeared to have put his race in jeopardy, but he chose to stay out and wait for the circuit to dry before recovering places during the race.
Hamilton said the team’s decision to stick to the strategy eventually paid off as conditions improved, while strong pit stops also helped him fight his way back into contention.
“Once it did, it felt good that I was catching people. The car felt great, then after that, really good pit stops from my guys in the garage and good strategy.
“So, for us to get back to the podium, I never thought that that was going to be the case, but of course, I'm really, really grateful that we managed to get back here,” he said.
The seven-time world champion said Ferrari still had areas to improve but praised the team for its efforts throughout the weekend.
Today’s result saw Antonelli remain at the top of the drivers’ standings with 320 points, ahead of his teammate George Russell with 236 points, followed by Hamilton in third with 214 points.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth today, is in fourth position with 191 points, while reigning world champion Lando Norris of McLaren and Verstappen have 188 points each, in fifth and sixth positions respectively.
In July, Formula 1 confirmed Malaysia as the host of the Gulf Air Bahrain GP from Oct 2 to 4, following an agreement between Formula 1, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain.
The agreement kept the Bahrain GP on the 2026 F1 calendar after the race was cancelled earlier this season due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
Malaysia hosted the Malaysian GP at SIC from 1999 to 2017 before the race was dropped from the F1 calendar.
-- BERNAMA