The Mercedes cars proved faster in the evening session at Yas Marina, thanks to cooler temperatures compared to the afternoon running. George Russell believes the W16s will be fighting with Ferrari and Red Bull, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli is confident he can improve on his qualifying lap after making an error in the third sector.
The battle for pole position in Abu Dhabi could end up being a direct fight between McLaren and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. On paper, Mercedes looked capable of becoming the third-force threat, but that may not actually be the case.
The team led by Toto Wolff effectively removed themselves from the pole fight. In their current condition, the black-and-silver cars have neither the single-lap speed nor the race pace to contend for victory or even for the podium.
George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli were the first to outline the situation after the opening two practice sessions in Abu Dhabi. George Russell, who finished third in Free Practice 2, explained that he expects to battle Red Bull and Ferrari for the front rows, without even mentioning the possibility of challenging the MCL39s.
“We certainly went better this evening. Usually it’s always better when we drive in the dark and the temperatures are cooler. I think it could be a tight qualifying and it will probably be between us, Red Bull and Ferrari. There are also some unexpected teams, like Haas with Bearman and the Saubers. We might have a few surprises.”
“As for the race pace, it wasn’t great, to be honest. We need to study something overnight and try to be faster to find performance ahead of tomorrow and Sunday.”
The limited hope George Russell has given his team of fighting for pole or the front row comes from the fact that his best lap today was so strong that he feels he has almost no more margin left to improve.
“It’s not easy when you’re on the C5s. There’s so much grip, but when the track is fresh the mistakes are always around the corner. My lap was very good. I don’t think there is much more margin, but I was only third. So yes, we need to find more performance overnight.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli appeared less eye-catching than Russell, but not due to a lack of competitiveness compared to his teammate. On his best push lap with the Soft tyres, the Italian driver made an error at the final corner, throwing away everything he had built up to that point.
“I think we managed to do pretty well today. In Free Practice 2 I wasn’t really able to show the potential, I think. On the last lap with the Softs I seemed quite strong, but then obviously I made a mistake at the last corner and lost a lot of time. But we are among the best.”
While George Russell did not mention McLaren at all, Antonelli offered a clearer overview of the competitive order. In his opinion, the papaya-coloured cars are a step ahead of everyone.
“Clearly McLaren seem to be a step ahead of everyone. But I think the gaps are really very small between all of us, and every tiny mistake can punish you. On the long run we were much better in Free Practice 2 compared to the previous session. That is positive, and we need to work to improve ahead of tomorrow.”
With championship positions long settled for the Silver Arrows, the focus now is simply ending 2025 on a high note – and that means outscoring the cars in scarlet and dark blue rather than chasing orange headlights.
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