Mercedes F1 engine issues cost 0.5s per lap in Bahrain

George Russell led the Silver Arrows charge with fifth place in Bahrain as team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished the season-opener in seventh, the pair having started third and ninth respectively.

Russell had climbed as high as second with an outside pass on Charles Leclerc on lap four to sit just 1.7s behind eventual dominant Red Bull winner Max Verstappen.

But his impressive start was undone by having to switch focus to nursing a power unit issue,…