F1 News: Mercedes Could Have Fixed Major Issue From 2023 – “He Has The Speed”
Mercedes appears to have made significant strides in addressing a key weakness from the 2023 season, as highlighted during day 3 of pre-season testing for the 2024 Formula 1 championship. According to observations by Sky F1’s Anthony Davidson, the new W15 car showcases promising improvements, particularly in its overtaking capabilities, which may signal a substantial advancement over its predecessor.
Key Takeaways:
- Mercedes’ W15 exhibits promising improvements in pre-season testing for 2024, notably in its overtaking abilities without relying on DRS.
- Lewis Hamilton and George Russell express satisfaction with the car’s performance, indicating positive developments in driving experience.
- The true competitiveness of the W15 will be tested against rival teams during the upcoming 2024 season, offering a clearer picture of its overall performance.
During the three-day pre-season testing session in Bahrain, Mercedes unveiled its revamped W15, sparking optimism among fans and pundits alike. Anthony Davidson noted a distinct improvement in the car’s ability to overtake without DRS, a feature that had posed challenges for the team in the previous season.
“The interesting thing there is that he wasn’t using DRS to get that overtake done. I feel like it was a bit of a weakness for Mercedes last year, the car being a bit on the draggy side,” remarked Davidson during Sky’s coverage on day 3.
Positive feedback regarding the W15’s enhanced performance also came from Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Hamilton, after completing 123 laps on Thursday, emphasized the noticeable improvement in this year’s car:
“We’ve clearly made an improvement with this year’s car and it’s much nicer to drive. A big thank you to everyone at Brackley and Brixworth for the efforts they’ve put in to deliver that over the past year. I’m really grateful for all their hard work.”
Similarly, Russell, who had an extensive stint with the car on Wednesday, echoed Hamilton’s sentiments:
“It definitely is an improvement there’s no doubt about that. But you could have the worst car to drive but if it’s faster than everybody else you’ll be happy with it. So it was definitely pleasurable to drive [on Wednesday]. I had a good feeling within the car, but we know that all of the other teams have made a good step forward.”
Despite the positive feedback, the true litmus test for the W15 lies ahead, as it prepares to face stiff competition from rival teams in the upcoming 2024 season. Only then will the full extent of Mercedes’ improvements be revealed on the track.
