Mercedes driver George Russell has high hopes for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which will be held this week at the Sepang Circuit, a circuit that has always been associated with special memories for him, even though he has never raced on it.
The British driver told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that Sepang was his favorite track when he was a child, spending long hours behind the PlayStation screen, imagining himself in the world of Formula 1.
Russell, who achieved another victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, added: “This will be my first time racing at the Sepang Circuit, but it was my favorite circuit when I was a child racing on the PlayStation.”
He continued jokingly, "So I'm very excited to be here, and I hope that all those hours I spent holding the joystick will help me gain some extra speed this week."
Bahrain was scheduled to host the race on October 4, before it was moved to Sepang due to the conflict in the Middle East.
The Sepang Circuit returns to the Formula 1 schedule for the first time since 2017, after hosting races in Malaysia stopped due to high costs, but it remains one of the most famous international circuits and a fixed station in the World Motorcycle Championship.
Of the 22 drivers on the starting line, only ten have previously raced at the Malaysian circuit, while the record of current winners is limited to Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who finished second behind Russell in Baku.
Despite limited experience on this track, Russell expressed his confidence in Mercedes' ability to continue its dominance.
“Compared to some of the drivers who have previously raced here, I think we have a very strong competitive package, which may give us a certain advantage,” he said during an event organized by the Malaysian National Oil Company (Petronas), the team’s main sponsor. But in the end, the competition is always fierce.”
His young Italian colleague Kimi Antonelli leads the Drivers' Championship standings by 66 points ahead of Russell, while Hamilton occupies third place, 103 points behind the lead.
Mercedes also sits at the top of the Constructors' Championship, 160 points ahead of Ferrari.
For his part, Antonelli warned of the impact of the volatile Malaysian weather, with heavy rain expected over the weekend, in addition to fog resulting from forest fires in Indonesia.
“From everything I heard, when it rains here it is very heavy, so we try to prepare for all possibilities,” he said.
He added: “If the rain actually falls, it will be a big challenge for everyone, because most drivers’ experience of driving on wet tracks with these cars is still very limited.”
The mayor of Nagoya apologized on Wednesday to the athletes for the organizational errors that bothered them during the Asian Games in the Japanese city, after a series of complaints.
The largest sporting event on the continent was marred by several problems, including a shortage of beds and transportation problems.
More than 17,000 athletes and officials are participating in the tournament, a number greater than those participating in the Olympic Games, while countries have accused local organizers of mismanagement.
Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa, who also serves as acting head of the local organizing committee, said: “We must apologize to the athletes and others who were harmed by these mistakes,” adding: “We must honestly review the mishandling that occurred.”
He continued: “There were human errors and a lack of communication with the national teams. “We are dealing with the situation based on what happened.”
Unlike previous tournaments, there is no athletes' village; In an effort to save money, participants instead stay in temporary wooden units, on a cruise ship and in hotels.
Some teams complained about the makeshift cabins, and some even said the beds were too short.
Early in the tournament, local organizers apologized to South Korea after playing the North Korean national anthem by mistake.
There were also problems related to athletes' buses; If you did not work at the scheduled times, did not arrive at all, or went to the wrong sports facilities.
Some athletes were also stuck for hours at the airport upon arriving in Nagoya to participate in the Games, which started on September 19, 2026.
The session, held in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture, will conclude next Sunday.
French driver Esteban Ocon will leave his Haas team at the end of the current season of the Formula 1 World Championship, according to what the two parties announced on Wednesday.
Ocon (30 years old) wrote through his account on the “X” platform: “My cooperation with the Haas Formula 1 team will end at the end of the 2026 season. I leave this project with my head held high, proud of my performance in circumstances that were not always easy,” stressing that “this is not the end of my career in Formula 1 at all.”
For its part, the American team, which is equipped with Ferrari engines and benefits from Toyota’s experience with regard to the car’s chassis, said: “The TGR Haas Formula 1 team and Esteban Ocon will part ways at the end of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship.”
Within a related race, Japanese Ayao Komatsu, director of Haas, said: “I would like to thank Esteban for everything he has given to the team since joining in 2025,” praising the “professionalism and commitment” of the Frenchman, who won the Hungarian Formula Grand Prix in 2021 with Alpine.
The Evreux native is ranked sixteenth in the drivers’ standings with 7 points, behind his young British colleague Oliver Berman, who is in thirteenth place, with 20 points.
Ocon indicated, in his post on the “X” website in English and French, that the 2026 season was difficult “for various reasons and factors beyond my control.”
After entering the world of Formula 1, behind the wheel of Force India in 2016, he defended the colors of Renault in 2020, before moving to Alpine. He spent 4 years, 2021-2024, and finally settled with Haas, announcing his departure from its ranks at the end of this season.
