Mercedes W15 ‘not the evil sister’ of previous cars as Hamilton and Russell voice confidence in its potential
Mercedes has entered the 2024 Formula 1 season with high hopes and aspirations, aiming to bounce back from a disappointing performance in the previous two years. Despite facing challenges in the early races, drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have expressed confidence and optimism in the W15 car, seeing signs of it being a “genuinely quick” car with a lot of potential.
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After struggling to make an impact under F1’s latest ground effect era and scoring only one win in the last two campaigns, Mercedes made significant changes to their package over the winter. The initial signs were promising, with Hamilton and Russell showcasing impressive performance in practice sessions and qualifying for the Bahrain opener.
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However, the second round of the season at Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche Circuit proved to be more challenging for Mercedes, as they fell behind Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin. Despite this setback, both drivers believe they have a strong base to work with in the W15 and anticipate unlocking more performance in the coming races.
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“I think you’ve only got to look at the potential and the performance we showed in FP1 and FP2 in the last two races,” said Russell. “We were genuinely quick, and the performance went away from us into qualifying – we have some ideas why that may have been.”
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Hamilton echoed Russell’s sentiments, emphasizing the car’s potential and refuting comparisons to its challenging predecessors. “It’s definitely not the evil sister or anything like that,” Hamilton remarked. “I think we have an amazing car, and there’s a lot of potential in it that we haven’t quite extracted yet.”
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With Mercedes currently sitting in fourth place in the constructors’ standings, the team is focused on making improvements and aiming for wins and podium finishes in the upcoming races. Despite the early struggles, Hamilton remains positive about the team’s prospects and is confident that they can overcome the challenges they face.
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