Here's why George Russell feels confident after practice in Imola
F1 News
Mercedes arrived in Imola with new parts, and the Silver Arrows seems to have taken a step forward with the W15. Of course, it is still 'only' Friday and Mercedes has shown many times this season that a good Friday does not guarantee a good qualifying and race. Nevertheless, George Russell is optimistic after the first two free practice sessions.
"Today, I think Lewis and I both have a really good feeling behind the wheel, which was really nice," Russell told Sky Sports after FP2. "We looked reasonably competitive, slightly closer than we showed in Miami. I'm sure everybody will find out come qualifying where we will truly stand. I think McLaren still probably looks the favourites at the moment, and probably the quickest. Again, they've been so fast since China." Interestingly, Russell does not mention Red Bull, although Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were both behind Mercedes in FP2.
Speaking about the updates, the 26-year-old Briton said "We seem to have done a great job to bring these new parts of the car, and it's a step forward," said Russell, who will be hoping Mercedes can continue to perform on Saturday.
That’s P4 and P5 for Lewis and George in the final practice session of the day
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 17, 2024
It’s good to be back on track at Imola pic.twitter.com/mSLZY0tleR