Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton voiced a optimistic word about Friday’s working, claiming that his crew seems to be closer to the entrance of the area than at any factors in the opening six races of the 12 months.
Mercedes have had a robust begin to the season regardless of some flashes of spectacular pace. However, the opening day of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix indicated that the Anglo-German outfit may need taken a step ahead thanks to a raft of upgrades which have simply been bolted on the W15.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton completed the opening session down in P7, however he displayed a way more encouraging efficiency in the second one-hour apply, taking fourth in the general standings.
“It’s been a good begin to the weekend. We had a productive day and have been ready to run all three compounds. The steadiness of the automobile felt good, and I had a optimistic feeling on the market. Several different groups look fast, specifically McLaren and Ferrari, however we’re a lot closer than we now have been thus far this season. We’re not getting forward of ourselves although so let’s see how tomorrow goes.
“I am really grateful to everyone back at the factory for working so hard to bring these updates. We are seeing improvements in the car and our performance on track,” added the seven-time world champion.
Love moments like this ❤️ This Lewis fan bought a image together with his favorite driver 🙏 pic.twitter.com/OcdprZ1AEa
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 17, 2024
On the different facet of the storage, George Russell was additionally left inspired after the opening two apply classes. The one-time race winner completed Free Practice 1 in a formidable second place whereas the second one-hour working noticed him set the fifth-quickest lap time.
Speaking of his day, Russell additionally praised his crew for the improve bundle that may make its debut this weekend in Imola.
“The automobile was feeling nice in the present day and each Lewis and I have been joyful behind-the-wheel. We regarded fairly aggressive and barely closer to the entrance of the area than we regarded in Miami. Come Qualifying tomorrow we are going to discover out precisely the place we stand in the pecking order. McLaren regarded very sturdy together with Ferrari however hopefully we are able to discover a bit extra pace and get closer to them. As at all times, it is going to be positive margins.
“The team has done a great job to bring the updates to the car so quickly. It definitely feels like a step forward at this point. It’s great to see the motivation within the team despite having a few tough races recently,” Russell mentioned.
