The British driver had a long-distance practice session during preseason testing in the afternoon with W15 at Behrain.
George Russell (via IMAGO)
Mercedes driver made his debut with the W15 in the official pre-season test in Bahrain, allowing him to familiarize himself with the new car. Despite finishing in 12th place on day one, he has very positive feedback about the car. This is mainly because Mercedes focused on making changes to the setup and collecting data rather than trying to set fast times.
Russell’s program began with fast laps to gather aerodynamic measurements using rakes, which represented a significant change in Mercedes’ approach. The W14 was designed with a different philosophy, which led to its limitations when it came to the Red Bull concept in 2023. Russell’s feedback on the car after the first day of testing was optimistic.
Starting from scratch, the W15 aimed to address these shortcomings, which included excessive sensitivity and unpredictable behavior. Mercedes’ philosophy for the W15 has changed significantly compared to last year’s W14. It was stated that the development of the new car was focused on improving handling to increase driver confidence, as mentioned during a press conference attended by Team Principals.
George Russell is positive about the new Mercedes W15, stating that it is more manageable than its predecessor. Despite a disappointing performance in the first preseason test, Russell believes that the car has great potential. He believes that speed, rather than comfort, is the true measure of success for a Formula 1 competitor. During media interactions, he mentioned,
Mercedes has dedicated a lot of effort to creating the W15 with the hope of regaining some victories and avoiding being eliminated from the championship. Russell completed 122 laps in his first official drive with the W15 during pre-season testing. Mercedes was more focused on completing a comprehensive testing program rather than setting fast lap times.
According to the Source firstsportz.com