P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes enjoyed a positive pre-season shakedown event from Barcelona last week, setting the most laps of any team.
George Russell stated that Mercedes is finally seeing a positive correlation between its simulations and the W17 car after several years. The team had a successful shakedown test in Barcelona, completing more laps than any other team. Despite being the early-season favorites, Russell emphasized that the team is not getting carried away with expectations. Mercedes has observed a promising correlation between the car’s performance on track and in simulations, a rarity since 2021. While confident in their progress, Russell remains cautious of strong competition from Red Bull and Ferrari, who have also shown strong reliability in early testing. The team is preparing for a potential fierce battle in the upcoming season despite positive signs from their side.
