George Russell was pleased with Mercedes’ early pace in Bahrain. However, he wants to exercise caution about the W15 and its potential.
“Surprise” was perhaps the main buzzword after the first day of practice in Bahrain. George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso all expressed this sentiment after FP2.
The three Mercedes-powered drivers topped the timing sheets on day 1.
This should not be seen as a complete surprise since all three drivers were regular contenders at the front last year.
Practice is rarely a perfect reflection of the pecking order, so these positions are not 100% representative.
Still, FP2 saw all the teams carry out qualifying simulations on the soft tyre.
There are inevitably small divergences in fuel and engine modes across the field. However, this astrix is not enough to dismiss the performance shown by the top 3.
Whilst Max Verstappen is still the favourite in the RB20, Mercedes can be satisfied with their progress.
After making a series of changes following pre-season testing, the Silver Arrows unlocked more speed from the W15.
Russell maintains realistic objectives
For a team still learning a new concept, this process will be ongoing in 2024.
Thankfully for Toto Wolff’s personnel, they now have a reliable baseline to build upon for this year’s campaign.
Podium positions will almost certainly be up for grabs, although Ferrari has kept some performance in their pocket after running a lower engine mode.
With this in mind, George Russell wants to be realistic about where the W15 is:
“We’re not going to get carried away after one day of practice.
“Our qualifying pace did look strong. We made some changes from the test, and the improvement exceeded our expectations.
“But ultimately, our long-run pace is where it counts. Verstappen looked comfortably quickest.
“And it was very tight with the Ferraris, the McLarens, and the Aston Martins. So we’ve likely got a real fight on our hands there.
“Nevertheless, we’re pleased with how our day has gone; the car is performing well.
“We will sit down and understand where the main improvements came from and try to sustain that.”
This is a sensible approach and a recurring one for the German constructor for almost a decade.
Managing expectations is a natural aspect of Formula 1, especially at this stage of the season.
There are still plenty of unknowns at this stage, although more and more certainties are emerging.
One of these is that Mercedes will be competing at the front. Rivals suspected as much during testing when the W15 seemed to be holding back more than rivals.
However, the first indications from race and qualifying simulations suggest a very close fight among the top 5.
