Silverstone stirs suspense as Russell and Hamilton, backed by the revamped W15, aim for victory.
He’s done it: Yesterday at Silverstone, George Russell secured his third career pole and his second this year.
Having already triumphed in Austria, can the Mercedes F1 driver double his winnings in today’s race? To do so, he must squarely resist not only his teammate but also Lando Norris and Max Verstappen…
On paper, is victory feasible, or will Mercedes F1 lack a tenth or two in race pace, according to the poleman?
“In reality, we know we are probably a tenth or two behind Lando and Max, but we have a good fight on our hands.”
“The weather will play a significant role. You know, it has rained—or not—these past two days. Some rain is expected this Sunday. We are probably heading towards another Montreal-type race, where conditions will be very changeable. So, it’s going to be a long race. As I said, we are riding this wave at the moment, but that means nothing because Sunday is when the points are scored. But we are obviously in an excellent position to fight for the victory.”
Regardless, the W15 has been transformed since receiving upgrades in Monaco. How can such a turnaround in performance be explained?
“We’ve made a few minor changes that have had a significant impact. We knew from the start of the year that the base of this car was much better than in previous years. But we’ve moved from an oversteering car last year to an understeering car this year. And now, we’ve just found the right balance. When you have good balance, the tire temperatures are in the right window, and the lap time really snowballs. It hasn’t been a substantial change, but it has made a huge difference in lap time.”
Hamilton confirms the Mercedes F1 has been transformed
Lewis Hamilton will start from the front row, alongside his teammate.
Does he believe that with the race pace, he can vie for victory while holding off the challenge from Lando Norris and Max Verstappen?
“In qualifying, I was cautious with my settings. I focused more on having a good balance for the race rather than on a single lap. So, I think the car will be good for me in the race, yes.”
“However, Red Bull, particularly Max, and the McLarens are very, very, very fast. And somehow, as you saw in the last race, they had a significant lead over us. So, I hope that with the weather conditions, we will be able to maintain our position.”
However, Mercedes F1 must avoid the strategic errors made in Montreal, where victory was possible in changing conditions.
“I mean, we are reviewing everything. Each case is different. You have to be prepared for all eventualities. And it’s not as if you can plan these things. It’s all about making decisions and being ready to execute all the plans that need to be prepared and are in front of us. So, we have reviewed Canada extensively, and I’m sure it will be better this Sunday.”
Lewis Hamilton was also questioned about the changes made to his Mercedes F1. Has his car really been transformed over the past few races?
“The difference is massive. Everywhere. It is simply better everywhere. Since Bahrain, for example, the car was terrible, and the progress we’ve made in terms of tuning and refining the car to optimize the aerodynamic package are massive. This team has never struggled to add performance, but where on the car these performances are added has always been a big question with this generation of cars—where we get the aerodynamic support. But our engineers have done a fantastic job.”
Norris also wary of Max Verstappen
Yet, behind the Mercedes F1, Lando Norris could well have the pace needed to dominate in the race.
However, the McLaren F1 driver, who missed his last lap in Q3, believes that George Russell and Lewis Hamilton could genuinely contest the victory.
“Looking at last year, here already, Mercedes probably had one of the fastest F1s in the race. If not potentially the fastest. I therefore expect them to be very quick, especially since they manage their front tyres very well. They have a very good front on their car. And I think that is going to save them.”
“But again, as George said, the conditions will be tricky. But we are there. We have been very quick in races over the last two months. That’s probably one of our strengths. In fact, we have favoured race pace over qualifying. But it’s a very different type of circuit. The layout is very different.”
Lando Norris is also cautious, of course, of that devil Max Verstappen…
“I’m sure Max will be racing against us in the race, but I have two other guys to worry about, so I’m not just concerned about Red Bull. I think our strategy has been very good these last two months, so I’m pleased.”
“We need a good pace. We need to be able to run a good race. I need to pass two guys if that’s what’s needed. So, yes, I’m confident, from what we know and what we’ve seen in the last races—we can move forward.”
Hamilton, Russell: Ready to Dominate at Silverstone?. Hamilton, Russell: Ready to Dominate at Silverstone?. f1 2024 Hamilton Russell: Ready to Dominate at Silverstone?
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