Mercedes expected Verstappen to be a step ahead at the Bahrain GP in Malaysia, Lord says

Mercedes expected Max Verstappen to be a step ahead at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, deputy team principal Bradley Lord said after the race. The team had seen the same advantage in qualifying.

Mercedes brought a large upgrade package to Malaysia but did not find the performance it wanted. Verstappen was clearly faster than Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in qualifying and the race. Antonelli finished second but could not challenge Verstappen, while Russell retired with engine trouble.

Lord said Mercedes had not performed at the level it hoped for or at the level it had shown at other races. He said there were many possible reasons and the team needed to identify the main causes.

Mercedes pitted under the virtual safety car (VSC), giving up the lead, Lord explained. The team had initially been unsure whether its margin was large enough to pit and still stay ahead of Verstappen. When Verstappen came in, it judged that retaining the lead was unrealistic. It therefore wanted to ensure it had tyres in the best possible condition. He praised the pit wall and strategists for their tyre and stop decisions, including the VSC call.

Lord said defending track position on old tyres could have been very uncomfortable if a later safety car had allowed the cars behind to make a free stop. He said the VSC decision was right at the time, and even more so in hindsight.