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George Russell says the Mercedes W15 is nicer to drive than the 2023 car after completing solid mileage during the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain. When launching the 2024 design, Merced…
After completing solid mileage during the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, George Russell stated that the Mercedes W15 is nicer to drive than the 2023 car. Mercedes emphasized making the 2024 car less challenging for drivers, focusing on improving the troublesome rear end of last year’s model. Although Russell’s best time on the leaderboard was only 12th fastest and 2.7 seconds slower than Max Verstappen’s benchmark, he was positive about the initial feedback from the car. Russell highlighted the good foundation and plenty of data gathered after completing 122 laps, looking forward to building upon the progress over the next two days of testing. The team’s focus is on maximizing mileage for learning rather than chasing performance, with the aim of assessing their competitiveness against other teams in the following week. Russell will continue testing on Friday, with Lewis Hamilton taking over on day two and the final day shared between the two drivers at the Bahrain International Circuit.