Friday in Suzuka was characterised by just one representative free practice session. FP2 was dominated by rain that limited running across the field. Drivers and teams finished today with only limited data, especially after Logan Sargeant brought out a red flag in FP1. The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were happy with their W15, showing decent competitiveness. They can be particularly encouraged by their speed in qualifying simulations.
However, the W15’s mini-race simulation did not seem very encouraging on the degradation front. They suffered from graining on the medium tyres, although the mood at the Silver Arrows is still quite positive.
HAMILTON AND RUSSELL DECLARE JAPAN AS THEIR FP1 SESSION OF 2024
Hamilton and Russell were somewhat surprised by their early running in Japan, which was “even better than we expected,” according to George Russell. Drivers were happy with the W15 and its balance from day one in Japan.
“I think we hit the right operating window. It was positive because this is a circuit where all the drivers love to drive,” declared Lewis Hamilton, confirming the good impressions he had of his car during the first session. Both were frustrated by their limited running, with Russell admitting that “some interesting things we wanted to try, but that’s the nature of Formula 1.”
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, spoke about the team’s diligent work to understand their issues. However, he insists it is still too early for Mercedes to declare victory against their persistent limitations.
“We have already had sessions where we were strong, and then, in Qualifying and in the Race, we found ourselves falling further behind. It’s encouraging to hear that our drivers are happier with the car and that the data also confirms that the tyres were in the right window of use.”
MERCEDES IMPACTED BY TYRE TEMPERATURES
It is now well-established that Mercedes is very sensitive to the smallest changes in external factors, such as temperature. James Allison recently pointed out how the W15 performed better at cooler temperatures in the opening rounds.
Therefore, it is no coincidence that Mercedes performed well in the lower temperatures of Mercedes. However, these conditions could change tomorrow – so reaching any conclusions is a dangerous game:
“I know that we are starting from a better base. For this reason, congratulations must be given for the hard work done after Australia. We have to try not to change too many things and ruin everything and we could remain in today’s positions,” said the 7-time World Champion.
Russell, meanwhile, doesn’t know what to expect from tomorrow. There is always the risk something could change, with work still going into making the W15 a more stable machine. The 26-year-old also spoke about the degradation-critical nature of this circuit:
“I think it will be quite high. Also, in Qualifying, it will be necessary to do the lap on the first attempt – because it is difficult to do more than one [lap] and improve”.
