George Russell was enthused as Mercedes posted what he perceived to be the quickest race runs across the field during practice for Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Mercedes entered this weekend eager to see whether its return to competing at the sharp end in Canada would translate to a more traditional race track in Barcelona.
Russell managed to haul the ever-improving W15 car into third in the first practice session, while Lewis Hamilton went even better in FP2 as he topped the timesheets.
However, Russell, who studied his team-mate’s data to claim pole in Montreal, was unable to match Hamilton’s benchmark time and ended up 0.458s behind in eighth.
Nevertheless, the Briton was pleased with the balance he discovered on his car through practice, as Mercedes once again appears poised to be in the fight at the top.
“Yeah, feeling good,” Russell reviewed. “The car’s performing really well around this circuit.
“I need to have a closer look at it, but obviously Lewis topped the time sheets, which was really great to see. I felt really strong on a Medium tire.
“Long run pace in FP1, we were right up there with the quickest. So, it’s only Friday, but it’s been a while since we’ve been consistently at the upper end.”
But while Russell believes Mercedes has managed to strike an optimal balance between short and long-run pace, he is adamant that Red Bull remains the favourite.
“I think we were probably the quickest this morning in the long run, and maybe not quite as quick in the low fuel quali pace,” he explained.
“Whereas this afternoon, definitely the quali pace looked really strong. I’m feeling good, feeling excited. This is what we’ve been chasing for a long time.
“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. Lewis did a really great job on a great lap this afternoon in FP2.
“But we always know, come qualifying, the Red Bulls usually turn it up. Max [Verstappen] is going to be on it.
“McLaren was fast. Carlos [Sainz] was fast. So, we expect a good fight.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton was much happier with how his car handled in the second session, but he has warned that Mercedes has room to extract further time overnight.
“FP1 was so-so. I went in the direction with the car,” he said. “We learnt quite a lot in that session. And then FP2 definitely felt quite a bit better, I think.
“Made some good changes. And the car’s feeling really great today. Very hot on the track, very tough for the tyres, especially on the long run.
“But it doesn’t feel like we’re too far off. I wouldn’t really take too much notice of lap times necessarily. But yeah, I think the car’s definitely in a better place.
“I think we’ve got some work to do to improve it overnight. To see if we can hold on to the Red Bulls and the Ferraris and the McLarens.”
Hamilton praised the relentless upgrade drive that has inspired Mercedes’ recent turnaround, which has comprised bringing minor updates rather than a big package.
“We definitely are working,” he added. “Everyone at the factory’s been working so hard, as they are every year.
“But I think having more of a North Star, we’ve got a much better understanding of where we want to go with the car.
“And I think the incremental steps that they’ve been taking.
“Everyone’s been working so hard with building components and bringing them consistently rather than just big chunks here and there.
“And for that, I’m really grateful. And you’re starting to see that in how comfortable we are as drivers in the car. So, it’s positive.”
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