While Mercedes is usually at the top of the timesheets, reliability is clouding the picture for the Silver Arrows—Russell complains about poor starts
In terms of lap times, Mercedes seems to be well prepared for the start of the new Formula 1 season: George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli have set the fastest times of the test week in Bahrain so far and were also twice in front last week.
So everything could boil down to successful test drives—if it weren’t for the issue of reliability. After a surprisingly problem-free shakedown in Barcelona, this was the Silver Arrows’ biggest weakness in Bahrain. Antonelli in particular was plagued by problems over the past few days and was also the driver with the fewest kilometers of all in the first week in Bahrain—even behind both Aston Martin drivers.
“Throws you back every time”
On today’s final day of testing, the Italian’s working day came to a premature end once again when he had to park his W17 at the side of the track after 49 laps. “Yes, it wasn’t the smoothest test for me here in Bahrain,” Antonelli admits, “but that’s exactly what tests are for.”
“It’s all about testing, and it’s really important to fix the problems now and experience them now so that everything is right for the rest of the season. The team has already looked at the whole thing, found the problem, and also has a solution ready. Hopefully, everything will be okay for Australia.”
Mercedes had an unwanted break when they had to install a completely new power unit in George Russell’s car in the afternoon. “There were definitely positive aspects, but every time a problem arises, it sets you back quite a bit,” said Russell, who was also frustrated by the difficulties.
From Mercedes’ point of view, the performance of the car and the drive unit is of course positive, and the drivers also praise the feel of the car and the progress the team is making day by day.
“To be honest, we’ve done a lot of setup work and the feedback from the car is good,” says Antonelli. “Of course, the other top teams are looking pretty good too. Ferrari looked very strong this morning, but so did McLaren yesterday and Red Bull as well. I think the top four are pretty close together and it’s going to be a close fight.“
Worst starts of Russell’s career
Russell knows that Mercedes can rely on ”a lot of potential in the car.” But he also knows that’s not enough. In addition to reliability, starts are currently still a major problem area for the Silver Arrows.
“To win a race, you have to get off to a damn good start. The two starts I made this week were worse than my worst start in Formula 1 ever,” says the Briton. “Meanwhile, Lewis [Hamilton] moved up from P11 to P1.”
“At this point, it doesn’t matter how fast you are. What will bring you down is the highest hurdle. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to take care of right now. At the moment, we’re still stumbling over some of them.”
