George Russell achieved a third-place qualifying position for the Bahrain GP, while Lewis Hamilton found himself in ninth. Despite a promising start, Russell’s W15 began to overheat, forcing him to relinquish his position to Carlos Sainz. Russell expressed his disappointment, stating that the overheating issue prevented him from showcasing the true potential of the car.
Russell assured that the overheating problem was a one-time occurrence and not a cause for concern in the future. He acknowledged that the team made an incorrect decision regarding the cooling configuration and vowed to rectify the issue going forward. Despite the setback, Russell remained optimistic about the upcoming races.
Hamilton, driving the #44 Mercedes, had a lackluster race, finishing seventh. He admitted that the team faced disappointment and struggled with degradation during the race. Hamilton also acknowledged that his qualifying performance had a negative impact on his race. However, he remained positive, stating that the team had gained valuable insights about the car and would work on improving in the future.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal & CEO, summarized the team’s performance in the first race of the 2024 season. He acknowledged that the incorrect cooling level affected their performance and forced them to compromise on tire performance. Wolff expressed his determination to analyze the data and ensure that similar issues are avoided in future races, particularly in Saudi Arabia.