Russell has high hopes for a favourite track he has yet to drive

KUALA LUMPUR – Mercedes driver George Russell has high hopes for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at a favourite track he has yet to drive in real life.

The Briton told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that the Sepang circuit was always the one he loved to race on as a youth living his dreams on a Sony PlayStation.

“This is our first time racing here in Sepang, and it was actually my favourite circuit as a kid when I used to drive on the PlayStation,” said Russell, who is fresh off a win at last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.

“So I’m sort of really looking forward to coming back and hopefully those experiences on the controller will help me go a bit faster this weekend.”

The Oct 4 race was originally scheduled to take place in Bahrain but has since been relocated to Sepang due to tensions in the Middle East.

Sepang has not hosted a Formula One race since 2017 after the Malaysian government said it could no longer afford the hosting costs, though it remains a fixture on the MotoGP calendar and a favourite among motor racing fans.

Just 10 of 22 drivers in the current Formula One field have raced at the Sepang track, while only three have won there – Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who came second to Russell in Baku.

Despite their lack of experience on the circuit, Russell said he and his championship-leading teammate Kimi Antonelli remained confident of holding the edge.

“Compared to the drivers who have raced here, in the past, I think we’re very fortunate that we have the best chassis and power unit beneath us, which should give us the advantage over these drivers who have been here before. But, of course, the competition is always very tough,” Russell said at an event hosted by Malaysian state oil company Petronas, a partner for the Mercedes team.

Antonelli leads Russell in the standings by 66 points, with Hamilton in third 103 points behind.

Mercedes are also leading in the constructors’ standings, with 160 points ahead of Ferrari.

Antonelli said unpredictable weather in Malaysia could pose a challenge for drivers, with rain forecast for this weekend and the country experiencing thick haze in some areas stemming from wildfires in Indonesia.

“From what I’ve heard when it rains here, it’s quite heavy. So we try to be ready for anything but also it will be the first time we’ll be on track with the wet tires,” Antonelli said.

“So, you know, if that happens, it’s going to be a big challenge for everyone because all of us have such little experience on the wet with these cars.” REUTERS