Russell hails 'seamless' F1 test as Mercedes rival pinpointed

George Russell has hailed Mercedes' 'seamless' three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain, with the Briton setting the fastest time on the final day. 

Russell pipped Max Verstappen in the closing minutes of running at the Bahrain International Circuit to top the Friday timesheets, although Carlos Sainz posted the outright best lap of the test on Thursday. 

Nevertheless, the Silver Arrows did complete the most laps of any grid, clocking 458 laps of the circuit. 

It was an overall very impressive performance by the Brackley-based team, who do appear to have made progress with the W16. 

However, Russell's long runs were consistently slower than the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who look like the team to beat. 

Norris completed a stunning race simulation on Thursday afternoon, with Russell not being surprised at the early strength of the Woking-based outfit. 

However, he is very pleased with the job done by Mercedes and is confident the data gathered can lead to improvements ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

"We've had a productive three days here at pre-season testing in Bahrain," said Russell. "The team at Brackley, Brixworth, and here trackside have done a great job to have us ready for the test and rack up a significant amount of mileage. 

"We've had a seamless three days, and the car is running well. It is no surprise to see some of our competitors, particularly McLaren, looking strong. 

"We've compiled significant data and knowledge which gives the opportunity to find further improvements ahead of Melbourne. 

"Kimi and I will be in the factory next week, driving on the simulator, and everyone will be pushing flat out to ensure we bring our best to Australia. I can't wait to get started!"