F1 News: Mercedes Warns Competition - "More To Come"
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin revealed that there is "more work to do on a single lap" after the new W15 F1 car struggled to make it to the top of the leaderboard during pre-season testing in Bahrain. Consequently, the team prepares to improve qualifying times ahead of the opening Grand Prix of the 2024 season. "There is more to come," they warn.
Key Takeaways:
- Mercedes Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin acknowledges the need for improvement in the W15 F1 car's single-lap performance after pre-season testing in Bahrain.
- Despite this, both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell express overall satisfaction with the car's improvement, citing enhanced drivability and increased stability in high-speed corners.
- Shovlin is optimistic about addressing previous issues, aiming for a strong performance in the Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying run.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell churned impressive times on the final testing day, courtesy of the W15 F1 car, which, according to them, is a much better machine when compared to its predecessor. The former managed P3, while the latter finished P2. Usual testing asterisk included.
However, to extract further performance from the car for the Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying run this coming Thursday, Mercedes will be upping the ante with its setup of the car. Explaining during a Mercedes social media debrief, Shovlin said:
"We're still trying to fine-tune the set-up, there will definitely be more to come.
"Overall we're happy, we definitely made progress. In terms of pace, the long run probably looks like our strength at the moment.
"There's more work to do on a single lap, but we should be in a position to hopefully put in a good showing when we get back on track."
Highlighting the W15's improvement, Hamilton said the car was much better to drive, but the Red Bull RB20 still remains out of sight. He added:
"It's much more enjoyable to drive.
"We still also have time to find, but I think Red Bull clearly are out in the distance. But I think it's a good platform to work from this year."
Not only Hamilton but even Russell emphasized that the car's rear end felt more stable and thus, he could execute high-speed corners with full confidence. Shovlin added that the problems that gripped the team's car over the last two years were now addressed. He said:
"It's really encouraging that a lot of the problems that the drivers have been talking about the last 12 and even 24 months with W13 and W14, we seem to have got to grips with."
