George Russell reached third place in the classification for the Bahrain GP, while Lewis Hamilton found himself in ninth. Despite a promising start, Russell’s W15 began to overheat, forcing him to concede his position to Carlos Sainz. Russell expressed his disappointment, stating that the overheating issue prevented him from showing the true potential of the car.
Russell assured that the overheating problem was an isolated incident and is not a cause for concern in the future. He acknowledged that the team made an incorrect decision regarding the cooling setup and promised to address the issue moving forward. Despite the setback, Russell remained optimistic about the upcoming races.
Hamilton, driving the Mercedes #44, had a lackluster race, finishing in seventh place. He admitted that the team faced disappointment and struggled with degradation during the race. Hamilton also acknowledged that his performance in qualifying had a negative impact on his race. However, he remained positive, stating that the team gained valuable information about the car and will work to improve in the future.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of Mercedes, summarized the team’s performance in the first race of the 2024 season. He acknowledged that the incorrect cooling level affected their performance and forced them to compromise on tire performance. Wolff expressed his determination to analyze the data and ensure that similar issues are avoided in future races, especially in Saudi Arabia.
