Toto Wolff admits to Mercedes confusion over lack of qualifying pace
Mercedes arrived at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia with high expectations. George Russell had put together an impressive showing last time out in Azerbaijan, and major upgrades had been delivered for this weekend. After topping the timesheets ahead of qualifying in Free Practice 3 with Kimi Antonelli, it looked like the signs were good for Mercedes.
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Michelin makes major tyre change after Motegi MotoGP Sprint
Michelin has withdrawn the soft rear tyre from Sunday’s Japanese MotoGP allocation following problems during the Motegi Sprint. The medium remains available, alongside the reinforced hard rear that has yet to complete a lap this weekend. The hard is now Michelin’s "recommended option" for the GP.
Max Verstappen rates chances of first F1 2026 win after ending pole wait
Max Verstappen is confident he can convert his first pole position of the 2026 Formula 1 season into victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Verstappen became the first non Mercedes-powered driver to take pole this season as he outpaced his great F1 rival Lewis Hamilton to the fastest time by 0.298 seconds with a dominant qualifying performance.
Enea Bastianini questions “unfair” Motegi penalty; Jorge Martin “angry with himself”
Enea Bastianini has labelled the last-lap penalty he received for a track limits infringement in the Japanese GP sprint as “unfair”, claiming he did not gain any time. Tech3 rider Bastianini was running in third place ahead of LCR Honda’s Diogo Moreira when Jorge Martin suddenly fell into his clutches due to heavy tyre degradation.
Francesco Bagnaia reveals cause of unusual Japan MotoGP sprint retirement
12 months ago Francesco Bagnaia completed a stunning Motegi double, which turned out to be his only sprint and grand prix sweep of the year. However, this year’s Japanese MotorGP sprint looked a lot different for the struggling Ducati rider, who failed to secure a Q2 spot before retiring from the 12-lap sprint late on.
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