Lewis Hamilton gave his feedback on Mercedes’ new car- the W15, after the 2024 season officially got underway this Thursday. While all the teams were running different programs during FP1 and FP2, a relative pecking order could be seen. Among them, Hamilton was glad to see himself in the favorable lot.
In FP2, Hamilton bagged P1 with a lap time of 1.30.374 on the soft compound tires. His teammate George Russell finished second much to the delight of the entire Mercedes fanbase. After the sessions, Hamilton said (as quoted on X) “I’m much happier with the car this year.”
The 39-year-old noticed much needed improvements on the W15. He made several suggestions over the last two years to make the W13 and W14 better, but they were ignored. Notably, Hamilton wanted to reposition the cockpit in the car, and finally, the Silver Arrows listened. He said that the W15 feels like “a race car for once” after the troubles he endured with the W13 and W14.
#BahrainGP | Lewis Hamilton: “I’m much happier with the car this year. My seating position is finally further rear wards, I got a better feel for the car approaching the corners. But there are other areas that have been fixed and improved. It feels like a race car for once.…
— deni (@fiagirly) February 29, 2024
While the car itself is a massive step forward for the team in terms of both comfort and performance, the seven-time world champion has the caliber to drive the wheels off of it and maximize the results for himself and the team. This is important for Hamilton, because he spent the last two seasons win-less.
Is Lewis Hamilton going to fight for the 2024 F1 title?
It may be too early to predict whether Hamilton can compete for the world title or not. However, the results on the first day of running has really added a layer of intrigue. That being said, during qualifying tomorrow, the sandbags will be finally off, and the proper pecking order could be on display.
The likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin seem to still be fiddling around with engine modes and fuel loads to mask their performance. Hence, it could very well be a very tight sharp end of the field. On the other hand, Red Bull, despite their lukewarm Friday, seem to have great race pace as computed from their long runs.
It’s a Mercedes 1-2 for FP2 ⏱ pic.twitter.com/aNJagdQTN4
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 29, 2024
Thursday’s running proved that Mercedes have made progress over the winter-break. But their fans will be cautiously optimistic, because if Red Bull and the others are truly sandbagging, it is unclear where the Brackley-based outfit ranks.
