They weren’t the most anticipated Thursday for the first free practice of the 2024 season. However, they were the ones who struck first. Two Mercedes drivers scored one-two finishes each during Free Practice 2 of the Bahrain Grand Prix. With a time of 1’30″374, Lewis Hamilton set the best time ahead of his teammate George Russell, beating the first non-Mercedes car (Fernando Alonso on an Aston Martin) by three tenths. Favorite 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 most surprising, 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 everyoneBritain explained. The track was very different compared to last week’s pre-season test. Otherwise, the feeling was good, but we didn’t really know where we were with the C2 tires, and then in this session, (with) the car, we made some improvements during the session. »
“Again, I don’t understand, it’s shocking to see where we areHe adds. We’ll take that for now, but we should have no illusions. We have to keep a cool head and keep working on the settings. I think our pace on long runs doesn’t match the Red Bulls (…) so we have work to do in this area. »
Hamilton says Mercedes can aim for podium
Time aside, Lewis Hamilton is satisfied with the Mercedes W15 which finally suits his driving style and is more comfortable to drive. “My seat position is finally further back, I feel the car better when approaching corners. Some issues have been corrected and improved. For the first time, it looks like a real racing car, which was not the case with the last two single-seaters.The English pilot admitted. So it’s a really good platform to work on, and we just need to keep calm and keep growing. »
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 the podium is achievable. “I think we will be in the race. It’s a little early to say, but I think we’re with Ferrari and maybe Aston Martin and McLaren.Lewis Hamilton said. I’m not sure where we stand compared to these guys, but we’re around them, so it must be close. If Max (Verstappen) is in front, he will break away as he has done in recent years. »
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