George Russell of Great Britain drove the Mercedes AMG F1 W15 during the Formula 1 World Championship, Round 2, Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 8, 2024. Mercedes Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff has acknowledged that the team is not competitive against Red Bull and Ferrari in this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Mercedes had entered the second round of the season with optimism after resolving engine cooling issues that had hindered their performance in Bahrain. Despite improvements in the car, Lewis Hamilton expressed a lack of confidence in the rear of the W15 in Jeddah. In the final practice session, Hamilton experimented with a higher downforce setup to determine its effectiveness for qualifying. Wolff explained that they would discuss and decide on the final setup in the engineering meeting. Hamilton has not finished higher than eighth place so far this weekend, with his teammate George Russell outperforming him in FP3 by finishing fourth. However, Wolff believes that Mercedes’ best possible result will be as the third-fastest team. He conceded that Max Verstappen of Red Bull is in a league of his own based on his race simulation pace. Wolff mentioned that Sergio Perez, followed by the Ferraris, are also strong contenders, with McLaren and Aston Martin being closely matched with Mercedes. Hamilton ultimately finished one place ahead of his fellow British driver Oliver Bearman, who is making his Formula 1 debut for Ferrari in place of the unwell Carlos Sainz. Bearman, 18 years old, recorded the tenth fastest time, just seven-tenths of a second behind Charles Leclerc. Wolff expressed admiration for the younger drivers’ competitiveness and mentioned that Bearman, coming from Formula 2, adapted well to the Ferrari SF-24 car. However, Wolff speculated that Bearman may not have utilized the engine’s full potential during the final run. Bearman, who is partnered with Mercedes’ prospect Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Prema, was originally scheduled to start the Formula 2 Feature race from pole position before being called up for his F1 debut.
Oscar Piastri from Australia, driving for McLaren, experienced a setback in his pursuit of a podium finish at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Formula 1. McLaren has...
Read more