Russell: We haven’t reached the ideal settings yet

Mercedes drivers assess the results of the training differently, although both believe that the car settings are far from ideal.

George Russel (2nd): “We have not yet managed to achieve the ideal car settings and the second training session was somewhat chaotic. It’s still hard to really judge how fast we are. The results are again very tight and although the fast lap times seem good, it is not yet entirely clear what pace we are capable of in long series.

We tried out different settings during the first session and then adjusted the balance for the second session, in an effort to better understand the new machine. But we are still at an early stage in the process as this is only the second race. We must continue to study the characteristics of the W15, collect information, and tonight the whole team will do everything possible to find speed reserves.”

Lewis Hamilton (8th): “It was a difficult day, I had no confidence in the car, the behavior of the rear left a lot to be desired. In between sessions we did some work with the settings and made some pretty significant changes to them.

However, the most serious problem persisted and bothered me during both workouts. I had some difficult moments in different parts of the track, and on a fast track like this you have to have complete confidence in the car. I have not achieved this yet.

After the training, we analyze all the information collected and see what improvements are possible. George was definitely much happier with the car. But we have taken a slightly different direction in working with the institutions, so we can hope that we can draw the right conclusions and make the right decisions.”