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KUALA LUMPUR – George Russell and Kimi Antonelli may be Sepang rookies, but the Mercedes-AMG Petronas duo are not arriving in Malaysia short on confidence.
For the first time in their Formula One (F1) careers, the pair will tackle the legendary Sepang International Circuit in an F1 car and they believe Mercedes has the machinery to make its long-awaited Malaysian homecoming a memorable one.
The challenge, however, is that they will not be learning the 5.543km circuit alone.
Among their rivals are seasoned Sepang campaigners such as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, both of whom have multiple podium finishes at the Malaysian circuit.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who currently drives for Oracle Red Bull Racing, won the final race in Sepang back in 2017.
But Russell is not exactly intimidated.
The Briton believes Mercedes’ current package can give him and Antonelli an advantage over drivers who already have experience of racing at Sepang.
“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.
“Of course, the competition is always very tough,” Russell said during a Mercedes-AMG Petronas media session, here.
That confidence will be tested from the moment the lights go out.
For Russell and Antonelli, meanwhile, their Sepang experience has largely come from behind a screen.
In Russell’s case, quite literally. Sepang was his favourite circuit as a child when he raced it on PlayStation.
“I think, you know, 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.
“I’m sort of really looking forward to coming back and hopefully those experiences under control will help me go a bit faster this weekend,” he said.
There is another reason the weekend carries extra significance for Mercedes. With Petronas as its long-standing technical partner, Sepang represents something close to a home race for the team.
Russell acknowledged that connection when discussing Mercedes’ decision to bring its latest upgrade package to Malaysia, saying the team wanted to give its best because the race was “almost like a home race for us as well”.
“So we wanted to give our very best to have a great weekend,” he said.
Russell admitted the wet conditions would be particularly interesting because this will be the first time the current-generation cars tackle Sepang in such conditions, leaving drivers with limited experience of how they will behave on a wet track.
The championship visits the Malaysian circuit from this Friday (Oct 2) to Sunday (Oct 4).
Sepang is hosting the event under the Bahrain Grand Prix name, marking F1’s first race at the venue since 2017.
