Mercedes are keen to deliver a positive performance in Silverstone, a home race for Hamilton and Russell. The W15 has shown a very strong trajectory since Monaco, and the objective is to sustain this. At the moment, McLaren and Red Bull are at the front – with Max Verstappen making he difference in the RB20.
The Brackley-based team is currently third-fastest, with Ferrari struggling to optimise their updates. The Mercedes duo were happy with their pace on Friday, although another step forward is needed overnight.
DRIVERS AGREE: FP1 WAS POSITIVE, WIND AFFECTED THE W15’S BALANCE IN FP2. OPTIMISM REMAINS
At the end of the day, Mercedes remains somewhat optimistic, though still aware there is work to do on Saturday.
“The car behaved positively. The times are not representative of our real speed, even if compared to those in front, there is perhaps still a gap to close,” commented Lewis Hamilton after the two free practice sessions.
The seven-time world champion still defines this Friday as encouraging. George Russell, on the other hand, did not feel very comfortable in the second free practice session.
“In FP1, everything went well, while in FP2, the car was a bit difficult to drive. There was more wind, and we were unable to put the tyres in the right window of use.”
Russell explained the importance of understanding why these factors impacted the W15 so severely yesterday, to avoid them from becoming limiting factors in the remainder of the weekend.
