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Russell blasts sandbagging claims: ‘We’ve taken a step back’
©Mercedes Phillip van Osten
14/02/2026 at 08:0313/02/2026 at 20:12 40 SHARES Share on.. Share on.. Share on.. George Russell has hit back at swirling claims that Mercedes has been sandbagging in Bahrain pre-season testing, insisting the team has actually regressed since F1’s initial Barcelona shakedown. Despite topping the timesheets on the final day in Sakhir behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Russell says the silver cars are still working through performance and reliability issues. So, while the bookmakers and rivals like Red Bull point to a Mercedes power unit loophole as the new gold standard, the reality behind the garage doors is far less glamorous according to Russell. “I think this...
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