“It’s a shock”: Hamilton surprised by Mercedes’ performance in FP2

They were not the most anticipated on Thursday, for the first Free Practices of the 2024 season. However, they were the ones who struck first. The two pilots Mercedes scored a double during Free Practice 2 of the Bahrain Grand Prix. With a time of 1'30″374, Lewis Hamilton got the best time ahead of his teammate George Russell, relegating the first car non-Mercedes (Fernando Alonso on Aston Martin) to three tenths. The favourite Max Verstappen, 6th, was almost half a second behind the seven-time world champion.

At the end of this first day of testing, it was a happy, but above all surprised, Lewis Hamilton who spoke after FP2. “We were surprised during the first free practice session. It was very windy this morning, which made the session very difficult for everyone, explained the Briton. The track was so different compared to last week's pre-season testing. Otherwise, the feeling was good, but we didn't really know where we were with the C2 tire, and then in this session, [with] the car, we made some improvements during the session. »

“Again, I don’t understand, it’s a shock to see us where we are, he adds. We'll take that for now, but we shouldn't have any illusions. We have to keep a cool head and continue to work on the settings. I think our pace on the long relays is far from matching that of the Red Bull (…) so we have work to do in this area. »

Mercedes can aim for podium, says Hamilton

Beyond the time, Lewis Hamilton is satisfied with a Mercedes W15 finally adapted to his driving and more comfortable to drive. “The position of my seat is finally further back, I feel the car better when approaching corners. Some points have been corrected and improved. For the first time, it feels like a real racing car, which was not the case with the last two single-seaters, confided the English pilot. So it's a really good platform to work from, and we just need to keep a cool head and keep evolving. »

After these first successful tests, what should we expect for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton? According to the Briton, victory does not yet seem within reach but a podium remains achievable. “I think we will be in the race. It's a little too early to tell, but I think we're here with Ferrari and maybe Aston Martin and McLaren, said Lewis Hamilton. I'm not sure where we stand compared to these guys, but we're around them, so it's going to be close. If Max [Verstappen] is at the front, he will escape like he has done in recent years. »

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