SAKHIR (Bahrain), Feb 14 — George Russell produced the second fastest time in yesterday’s pre-season testing, behind only his teammate Kimi Antonelli, but the English driver still insisted Mercedes had ‘taken a step back’ in Sakhir.

Russell and Mercedes have long been tipped as title candidates for this season as all the teams adapt to the rule changes which have led to a complete overhaul of chassis and engines, with a bigger focus on energy management.