George Russell celebrated his 100th Grand Prix for Mercedes by taking pole at the Barcelona‑Catalunya circuit, but the race turned problematic. A mis‑adjusted front wing during his final pit stop left the car with a pronounced over‑steer, hampering his pace in the closing laps.
Mercedes ran a two‑stop strategy while Ferrari opted for three stops, timing their last pit under a Virtual Safety Car that helped Lewis Hamilton – now in a Ferrari – pull ahead. Russell, on medium tyres, fell to second behind Hamilton after the balance issue slowed him. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who had overtaken Russell with five laps remaining, retired shortly after due to a technical failure.
Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord said the team could have won if the front‑wing adjustment had been correct, noting the lost time from intra‑team battles and Antonelli’s reliability loss. He praised Ferrari’s recent upgrade, which gave them a clear step forward in one‑lap and race pace, and warned that Mercedes must keep delivering upgrades to stay in the front of the development race.
.webp)
