Both Mercedes drivers were among the top five performers at the end of Free Practice 2. George Russell, a team member, expressed his satisfaction with the speed he was able to achieve with the Mercedes car. As a result, he has a positive outlook for the rest of the race weekend. Both Mercedes cars finished among the top five at the end of FP2. Hamilton secured fourth place with a time of 1.16.297, while Russell came in fifth with a time of 1.16.311.
George Russell spoke about his experience after the practice, stating that the car felt great and both he and Lewis Hamilton were happy with it. They seemed to be reasonably competitive and closer to the front of the pack compared to their performance in Miami. Russell believes that qualifying tomorrow will provide a clearer picture of their true capabilities.
Russell emphasized that the W15 is performing well at the Emilia-Romagna circuit. However, he acknowledged the importance of finding more speed to challenge teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull in the upcoming sessions in Imola.
While Russell remains optimistic about the ongoing race weekend, he believes that motivation within the Mercedes team is playing a significant role. He attributes his good performance to the commitment of the team members working behind the scenes.
So far, Russell has proven to be the top driver for the Mercedes team. The team is currently in fourth place in the 2024 Formula 1 grid. McLaren has surpassed them, but considering the performance of the W15 in Imola, Russell and Hamilton may have an edge over their competitors. With Red Bull facing difficulties, there may be some surprises in store for loyal Mercedes fans.
