Fernando Alonso was the fastest driver in the Aston Martin powered by Mercedes, which is a promising sign for the German manufacturer. George Russell finished in second place, giving reason for optimism. However, it was a disappointing day for Lewis Hamilton as he struggled before his final Saudi Arabian GP with Mercedes.
According to the team report, Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes team principal, acknowledged that they tried various setups throughout the day. However, no car ended up in an ideal position. The single lap was affected by traffic and lacked grip in high-speed corners. They will be looking for solutions overnight to address these issues. The long runs were also not as long as desired, and both drivers were unhappy with the overall balance of the car. The team needs to find more lap time overnight, but the positive aspect is that they have several areas to explore for improvements.
George Russell, the happier of the two Mercedes drivers, commented that it was fun to be back on track in Jeddah. The high-speed circuit provided an enjoyable experience. However, the car was not in the perfect setup, and the second practice session was a bit confusing. The single lap times seemed good, but they are unsure about their performance on long runs. They conducted extensive testing in the first practice session with different setups and made changes for the second session to learn more about the W15 car. Russell emphasized that it is still early in the season and there is room for improvement. The team will work hard overnight to extract more performance.
On the other hand, Hamilton faced frustration in the sister car. He had no confidence in the rear of the car and made significant changes in the setup between sessions. The main issue he encountered in both practice sessions was the rear of the car. At a high-speed track like Jeddah, having full confidence in the car is crucial, and Hamilton admitted he has not yet achieved that. The team will analyze the data to find ways to improve. Hamilton acknowledged that Russell was in a better position with the car, and they will learn from their different approaches to find the right solutions.
In the previous race in Bahrain, Mercedes showed promise with Russell qualifying in third place. However, they were unable to maintain their performance in the race, with Russell finishing in fifth and Hamilton in last place. Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, won the race with a significant lead. The second round of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship will take place in Jeddah on Saturday.
(Additional quotes from Agnes Carlier in Jeddah)
