Kiz Charlotte KentAfter cooling woes in Bahrain, Mercedes F1 finds form in Jeddah, highlighted by Russell’s promising second-place start.
Following a frustrating weekend in Bahrain, marked by cooling issues that compromised the race for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, Mercedes F1 appeared more comfortable during the opening day of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. George Russell’s second-place finish is indeed a promising indicator for the remainder of the weekend.
“It was fun being back on the track here in Jeddah. It’s a high-speed circuit, so it’s enjoyable. We didn’t have the car in the perfect window, and Free Practice 2 was a bit disjointed. The lap times looked good on the single lap, and we’re still unsure where we stand on the long runs.”
“We conducted a lot of tests in FP1 with different setups on both cars. We then made some adjustments for FP2 to try and learn more about the W15. It’s still very early; it’s only the second race of the season and the second circuit where we’ll be going all out. We need to continue to build on what we’ve learned, and everyone will be working hard until tomorrow to extract more performance. It’s tight again, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”
Hamilton Seeks Saudi Turnaround
Lewis Hamilton was somewhat behind after this first day, and he still needs to fine-tune his understanding of the W15 on the fast Saudi track. He also received a warning for impeding Logan Sargeant during FP2. The team was fined €15,000 for not properly warning him of the danger.
“It was a challenging day. I lacked a bit of confidence in the rear of the car. We worked on the settings from one session to the next and made quite a few changes to the car. The main issue I struggled with in FP1 and FP2 was still the rear. I had a few close calls, and on a track as fast as this one, you need to have full confidence. I’m not quite there yet.”
“We’ll look at the data tonight to see how we can improve. George was clearly in a happier position with the car today. We went in slightly different directions, so I hope we can learn from that and find the right solutions.”
Mercedes F1 Rebounds in Jeddah with Russell’s Rise. Mercedes F1 Rebounds in Jeddah with Russell’s Rise
- 2024 F1 Saudi Arabian GP – Free Practice 2 Results
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