Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes team are aiming to bounce back to winning form in 2024. Hamilton acknowledges that Mercedes is not currently at the desired level with their 2024 Formula 1 car, but he remains confident that they have a strong foundation to begin the season. Mercedes has made changes to their car concept, moving away from the ‘zeropod’ solution, in order to address the challenging rear-end characteristics of their previous car. Despite Red Bull’s impressive testing performance, Hamilton recognizes that Mercedes needs to put in the work to compete for victories consistently. However, he believes that the team is better positioned this time to bridge the gap. Hamilton expresses pride in the hard work and collaboration of everyone involved, both at the track and behind the scenes. He emphasizes the team’s focus, determination, and communication, which he considers to be the best he has ever witnessed. While acknowledging that there is still work to be done, Hamilton sees the test as a positive step forward and is excited for the upcoming season, confident that Mercedes is in a good position.
George Russell demonstrated a glimpse of Mercedes’ potential towards the end of the test session, achieving a time on the C4 compound that placed him just 0.046s away from the top of the timesheets. The British driver anticipates that Red Bull will maintain a significant advantage, but he agrees with Hamilton’s assessment that Mercedes now has a stronger foundation to build upon. Russell stated, “During our time in Bahrain, we had a productive three days. Despite the interruptions, we were able to complete all of our planned activities. The car has been performing well and matches our expectations based on the simulations we conducted prior to the event. We have a solid starting point to work from. We acknowledge that there is still plenty of room for improvement in terms of lap times. We were aware of this before the test, and Red Bull once again appears to be formidable. However, I am confident that we are in a much better position compared to a year ago. The team at Brackley and Brixworth have done an excellent job in putting us in this position and providing us with a car that represents progress. Our focus now is on maximizing the potential of our current package and enhancing our downforce to narrow the gap.”
Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin, believes that the team has effectively addressed the shortcomings of their inconsistent W14 model. Shovlin stated, “Our time in Bahrain has been valuable, and we have made significant progress in understanding the W15. The feedback from the drivers is notably different and more positive compared to last year, which is encouraging. The team has worked diligently to rectify the handling issues that plagued the W14, and it is satisfying to see that many of those problems have been overcome. Throughout the test, we have gained a better understanding of the car. Our focus in the coming days is to analyze the results and assemble the optimal package for the upcoming race weekend. It is challenging to accurately predict pace based on testing, as teams are adept at concealing their true performance. However, it is evident that we are in a much stronger position than we were a year ago. We have a busy few days ahead as we finalize our preparations for the season opener, and we are eagerly anticipating the race weekend and the season ahead.”