P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes’ Trackside Engineer Director, Andrew Shovlin, has revealed the team is “ahead of where we hoped” after the midway point of the F1 pre-season test in Barcelona.
“Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin, has stated that the team is ahead of their expectations at the midway point of the Formula 1 pre-season test in Barcelona.
The team had a positive Wednesday session after sitting out Day Two, with the new W17 setting the fastest time of the day at 1:17.362, driven by Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The Mercedes completed an impressive total of 183 laps, with Antonelli driving 91 laps and George Russell the remaining 92.
Despite minor issues with new electrical systems, Shovlin confirmed that the team is exceeding their expectations in terms of mileage and reliability during testing.
Shovlin mentioned that both Russell and Antonelli are currently content with the car, but their true satisfaction will depend on the car’s speed and performance in the upcoming days.
Overall, Mercedes is pleased with the progress made in Barcelona, but final assessments on performance will have to wait until the end of testing and into the Bahrain Grand Prix.”
