Russell urges Mercedes to tackle tyre wear after Sepang practice
George Russell says Mercedes must improve its tyre management after second practice at Sepang, where he and Kimi Antonelli finished seventh and eighth.
RacingNews365 reported that Mercedes was the fourth-fastest team in second practice at Sepang on 2 October, with Russell seventh and team-mate Kimi Antonelli eighth. The outlet described the circuit surface as abrasive and track temperatures as high.
Russell said tyre degradation was a major concern in those conditions and that Mercedes needed to work overnight to improve its tyre management. He attributed the team's position to a car set-up that was not in the right window, rather than to its upgrades, while acknowledging that the effect of new parts can be difficult to isolate.
Russell judged Max Verstappen quickest over a single lap and McLaren strongest on longer runs at that stage of the weekend.
Sources 01
- SOURCEGeorge Russell issues Mercedes demand with surprise pecking order verdictRacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-10-02
Source context
RacingNews365 English’s 2 October 2026 report covers Russell’s post-practice remarks and its account of the Sepang session.
Claims and supporting evidence 5
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Mercedes' reported FP2 performance at Sepang FP2 at Sepang, 2 October 2026 This is the outlet's account; an official classification was not among the retrieved documents.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Russell's assessment of tyre degradation Practice day at Sepang, 2 October 2026 The concern is Russell's assessment, not a quantified tyre-degradation measurement in the supplied article.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Russell's explanation of Mercedes' practice position After practice at Sepang, 2 October 2026 This is Russell's explanation, not an independently established assessment of the upgrades' effect.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Mercedes' stated next step After practice at Sepang, 2 October 2026 The statement describes intended work, not an improvement already achieved.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Russell's provisional assessment of rival pace After practice at Sepang, 2 October 2026 The supplied article provides no comparative long-run data to test the assessment.
This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.