The more the hours pass, the more the curiosity to see grows the first race of the season. It is now less and less until the stroke of 16.00 on Sunday, when we finally have a first idea of the true power of the cars on the track.
Mercedes, now you can't go wrong
It will also be important to understand where the Mercedes. After a season characterized by many basses, and some high notes in the finale, the Brackley team will try to build on Russell's victory in 2022, when the W13 seemed to give good feedback on the track. THE test with the new W14 however they don't seem to have 100% convinced, even if cautious optimism filters through.
Russell: “There is great room for improvement”
Indeed, 2023 must be the year of redemption at Mercedes, also on the basis of what George admitted Russell, who has already set his goals for this weekend.
What is the mood within your group?
“The mood is good. They were quite positive tests from which we learned a lot. There is a Red Bull team that looks very strong but at the same time we know we have a lot of room for improvement. Maybe this weekend we'll have a better pace than in the tests, but it will certainly be challenging."
Last year, you started slowly, you grew towards the end: will you start from there?
“We'll find out on Sunday. I think the tests are good indications for everyone, but Saturday's qualifying will tell us the truth and will be the real point of reference. Some teams were very fast on one lap, others on race pace. It's important to remember that we try to have a fast car on all 23 rounds of the season, even if Bahrain is a bit of an unusual track so I don't think the picture on Sunday will be the same as we will have throughout the season." .
What did you think at the end of the tests?
“It wasn't the easiest test for us, but we learned a lot and I think what we learned will put us in a good position. I think the Red Bulls are too much stronger and therefore not to be considered, while we can fight for second place with Ferrari and maybe Aston Martin”.
How do you think you grew up as a pilot?
“Last year was an important year for me to evolve and understand how a team like Mercedes works. We work with top-level engineers and I'm really lucky to be able to work with them".
