Formula 1

Russell described the Mercedes W14’s first track appearance

Published

1 month ago

15/02/2023

Sebastien Paolinetti F1 Author

After being unveiled earlier today at Silverstone, the new W14 chassis from Mercedes has completed its first run.

In the 2023 season, George Russell was the initial driver from the team to test their new vehicle.

Last year, the team’s first run of the new car took place under challenging conditions due to strong winds at the circuit. However, the situation was more favorable at Silverstone today, where Aston Martin also tested their new car for the first time.

Afterwards, when speaking to media outlets such as F1Lead, Russell mentioned that the run had proceeded smoothly. However, he also added that it was challenging to draw definitive conclusions at this early stage.

He referred to last year’s shakedown, which was heavily affected by the weather, and they were unable to gather significant feedback from the test.

“Today has been without any major issues, but it’s hard to draw any definitive conclusions at this stage. We didn’t gain many insights from the shakedown last year due to weather conditions, so it’s difficult to make any judgments right now.”

Russell cautioned that the outcomes of the current run should be taken with a grain of salt. He emphasized that the primary goal was to ensure that the vehicle was operational and free of any significant problems during the test at Silverstone.

According to Russell, the real test would take place in Bahrain. He mentioned that while they would like to obtain as much information as possible from a day like today, it would not be indicative of the vehicle’s performance in Bahrain.

“You need to be cautious in interpreting today’s results and focus on avoiding any major issues to ensure that the car runs smoothly in Bahrain, where the true test will take place. Although we want to gain insights from today’s session, it is somewhat insignificant in that respect.”

The racing team from Germany holds a positive outlook regarding the W14, hoping that it will demonstrate greater dependability than its problematic forerunner, the W13.

In the beginning of the season, Toto Wolff referred to the car as a “diva,” and later Hamilton called it a “nightmare.” By the midpoint of the season, the team boss’s confidence in the vehicle’s performance had also dwindled.