F1 News: Toto Wolff Reveals "Encouraging" Results From Mercedes Testing

Mercedes' team principal, Toto Wolff, has expressed optimism about the W15's initial testing performance

In a recent update from Bahrain pre-season testing, Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes, has expressed optimism following the initial performance of the W15. The Brackley machinery made its debut with George Russell achieving a noteworthy sixth place in the first testing session on the Wednesday, but Lewis Hamilton has had bad luck so far today after track issues resulted in the morning session being cut short. 

Key Takeaways:

• The W15, Mercedes' latest F1 contender, showcased its capabilities in Bahrain, with Toto Wolff finding the early results promising.
• George Russell took the helm of the W15, landing a sixth-place finish in the initial run, a significant start amidst high competition.
• Mercedes aims for a turnaround in the 2024 season, building on past challenges to secure a more consistent and competitive performance.

Mercedes' anticipation for the 2024 Formula 1 season has been met with a level of optimism from Toto Wolff as testing has continued for the W15 this week. The Bahrain sessions served as the first real-world trial for the car, with George Russell guiding it to a commendable sixth-fastest time on the timesheets, despite trailing leader Max Verstappen by over a second and a half (testing caveats included). 

The W15's debut comes at a critical time for Mercedes, a team eager to reclaim its dominant form after several challenging seasons and please Lewis Hamilton on his final year with the team. 

The ground effect era has tested the Brackley squad's resilience, with only a single victory in the last two years, a win delivered by Russell in Brazil in 2022. Wolff's remarks, made during a midday press conference, shed light on the team's strategy and hopes for the car.

"The mood in the camp is positive," he admitted.

"We had a car [in 2023] that was a handful and difficult to understand sometimes why it was doing what it was doing.

"That has been the emphasis for this season to have a stable platform from we can actually develop onwards. Let's see if we have that.

"It's very difficult to say. We had a filming day yesterday and some aero running this morning, so not relevant lap times, but so far the feedback from the drivers was 'yeah, this is something we can work with' so that is encouraging."

With Lewis Hamilton scheduled to test the W15 in Thursday's sessions but track issues forcing the morning session to be cancelled after around two-and-a-half hours of running, the team will be looking to make the most of the afternoon session.