Mercedes drivers finished 5th (George Russell) and 7th (Lewis Hamilton) at the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix, while Toto Wolff spoke about the problems his team faced at the Sahir circuit.

>> Formula 1: Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton each lost half a second on a lap due to Mercedes engine, says Toto Wolff

Russell started the race well and was just 1.7 seconds behind leader Max Verstappen by lap four, but was unable to keep up with the Red Bull Dutchman’s pace.

Wolff explained that the Mercedes drivers were losing more than half a second per lap due to engine overheating and a battery problem.

Mercedes Williams were also missing in Saturday’s race, with Alexander Albon finishing 15th and Logan Sargeant last.

“The pre-season tests went quite well. The performances on Thursday and Friday were also inspiring. The car was stable, it was good. Pilots love it.

When I started the race on the soft tire, everything went according to plan. Then, unfortunately, we had to start cooling the engine more than we expected. We still can’t figure out where this problem is coming from.

Williams, one of our customers, had the same problem. The other two (McLaren and Aston Martin) do not. It was something unexpected.

In total there were 5 or 6 tenths of a second that the car was capable of but that I couldn’t get. So it wasn’t much fun… At some points we were literally not a few degrees but about 10 degrees above what we thought we should be.

I think even without traffic I’m already over the limit. We ran at about the same cooling levels as the previous days. It’s just that the temperature rose more than I thought” – Toto Wolff, head of Mercedesfor Motorsport.com.

Wolf predicted that the problems would be solved by the Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia (Jeddah – March 9).

>> Here you can read an extended presentation of the new Formula 1 season.

>> Multiple world champion who may return to Formula 1

Formula 1 – Tournament table of pilots

1. Max Verstappen – RedBull 26 points

2. Sergio Perez – RedBull 18

3. Carlos Sainz – Ferrari 15

4. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari 12

5. George Russell – Mercedes 10

6. Lando Norris – McLaren 8

7. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes 6

8. Oscar Piastri – McLaren4

9. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin 2

10. Lance Stroll – Aston Martin 1 etc.

Formula 1 – constructor rating

1. RedBull 44 points

2. Ferrari 27

3. Mercedes 16

4. McLaren 12

5. Aston Martin 3

6. Sauber strike 0

7. HAAS 0

8. RB Honda 0

9. Williams 0

10. Alpine Renault 0.

What the 2024 Formula 1 season will look like

1) Deputy from Bahrain / March 2 / The winner is Max Verstappen

2) Deputy from Saudi Arabia / March 9 / Jeddah

3) Member of Parliament of Australia / March 24 / Albert Park track

4) Deputy from Japan / April 7 / Suzuka

5) Deputy from China / April 21 / Shanghai

6) Miami MP / May 5 / Miami International Autodrome

7) Deputy from Emilia-Romagna / May 19 / Imola

8) Deputy from Monaco / May 26 / Monaco

9) Canadian MP / June 9 / Gilles Villeneuve, Monteal

10) Deputy from Spain / June 23 / Barcelona, ​​Montmelo

11) Deputy from Austria / June 30 / Spielberg

12) British MP / July 7 / Silverstone

13) Deputy from Hungary / July 21 / Hungaroring

14) Deputy from Belgium / July 28 / Spa-Francorchamps

15) Deputy from the Netherlands / August 25 / Zandvoort

16) Deputy from Italy / September 1 / Monza

17) Deputy from Azerbaijan / September 15 / Baku

18) MP of Singapore / September 22 / Marina Bay

19) Member of the US Parliament / October 20 / Texas, Austin

20) Deputy from Mexico / October 27 / Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

21) São Paulo MP / November 3 / Interlagos

22) Las Vegas MP / November 23 / Las Vegas Strip Circuit

23) Deputy of Qatar / December 1 / Lusail

24) Deputy of Abu Dhabi / December 8 / Yas Marina.