Questions have been requested about whether or not Mercedes have discovered an optimum set-up for each qualifying and racing forward of at present’s F1 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell had been often a lot stronger in races than in qualifying final 12 months.
Russell certified in P3 for at present’s Bahrain Grand Prix with Hamilton P9 (however solely half-a-second behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen).
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insisted after qualifying that their W15 was set as much as excel within the grand prix itself.
“Sure, that’s the noises popping out of them,” Damon Hill reacted on Sky Sports activities.
“They deal with race tempo.
“This chilly climate might be an enormous a part of [Saturday’s] story as a result of it’s not what they had been anticipating.
“It could be which you can go onto the laborious tyre and push like loopy, as a result of you must get some warmth into it one way or the other.
“It’s an enormous weekend for George, with the information that Lewis goes.
“He needs to determine himself. He’s obtained an excellent qualifying in there.
“The race may very well be very attention-grabbing for him.”
Hamilton didn’t minimize the annoyed determine in Bahrain that was often on present final 12 months after qualifying runs.
The seven-time F1 champion was upbeat in regards to the W15’s improvement.
“Sure, that was constructive,” Naomi Schiff reacted. “He ended his assertion by saying he hopes to maneuver ahead.”
However Schiff famous: “What their subject right here has been: after testing, they felt like that they had a stronger future tempo.
“They went again dwelling, put the drivers within the simulator to seek out the changes to make the automotive faster on a one-lap tempo.
“So, it appears for the second, that it’s one or the opposite.
“They don’t appear to have a set-up that works for each.
“Let’s see whether or not it pays off.
“He’s obtained some vehicles in entrance of him – Leclerc, Sainz, Perez – a whole lot of fast vehicles that he’s obtained to get previous, if he needs to get to that podium.”
Hamilton hasn’t gained an F1 grand prix since 2021 and this might be his closing season with Mercedes earlier than becoming a member of Ferrari.
Russell, who outscored Hamilton in 2022 however not in 2023, will profit from his higher Friday by lining up six locations additional forwards on the beginning grid.
