Mercedes have been the big talking point heading into the Spanish GP weekend. After a strong weekend in Canada, the Barcelona circuit is seen as a litmus test to validate the W15’s performance. So far, the Silver Arrows appear well-positioned to fight at the front once again. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both set impressive times.
Upgrades have been arriving to the W15 consistently in recent events. Mercedes did not introduce a new specification this weekend, but they have brought lighter components – essentially guaranteeing free lap time.
The next 48 hours will be crucial for Toto Wolff’s team. Should they perform well at a ‘traditional’ circuit like Barcelona, there is no reason why the W15 cannot consistently run at the front.
Lewis Hamilton discussed the team’s progress from Friday running:
“FP1 wasn’t the best session for us, but we still learned quite a lot. FP2 was a lot better, though, and the car was feeling great.
“The track was very hot, so it was tough on the tyres, especially on the long run.
“Overall, though, it didn’t feel like we were too far off being right in the mix at the front. We have taken a step forward with the car in recent races.”
Of course, this would not be the first time that Mercedes have shown strong pace in FP1 and FP2 – only to struggle when it actually counts.
However, the W15 is a very different machine from what it was at the start of 2024. A series of changes made by James Allison and his technical team have put the car in a far better place.
Hamilton is optimistic the team can maintain their positive momentum:
“Everyone has worked so hard to get us to this point and make those incremental gains. We’ve got a clear direction of where we want to go moving forward, too.
“We’re starting to see that feed through to our performance on track. Hopefully, we can continue the momentum from today into Saturday and get closer to our competitors ahead.”
Russell pleased with Mercedes progress
On the other side of the garage, George Russell was also happy with the progress being made at Mercedes.
The British driver pointed to the promising race simulations in FP2, although he insisted that it is important to remain grounded:
“We had a good day on track today. The car was performing really well around this circuit.
“It was encouraging to see Lewis top of the timesheets and we were consistently at the front.
“Our long run pace in FP1 was competitive. In FP2, it seemed that our single lap pace was slightly stronger than our long run speed but overall, the car is feeling strong.
“It is only Friday, but it has been a while since we’ve been consistently at the upper end of the field. I’m feeling good and excited, as this is what we’ve been chasing for a while.
“We won’t get ahead of ourselves, though, and will work diligently tonight and tomorrow to prepare as best as we can for Qualifying and Sunday’s Grand Prix.”
