The 2024 Formula 1 season is anything but going according to plan for Mercedes. Quite the opposite: the team has been lagging behind its own expectations for years, and instead of being able to attack the top again this season, it has taken a step back into the midfield.
But in Monaco, different rules apply than in almost any other Formula 1 Grand Prix. Mercedes made a very strong impression in both training sessions on Friday. Lewis Hamilton was able to keep World Championship leader and World Champion Max Verstappen well behind him in both FP1 and FP2. George Russell at least managed to do so in the first training session, but was stopped by a technical problem in FP2.
Charles Leclerc: Disturber in the Mercedes idyll
But there is a problem in the Mercedes idyll and that is Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver set the tone on Friday’s training and was able to set the fastest time despite a traffic obstruction. On his second lap, which the Monegasque aborted, he could have been three tenths of a second faster. The favorite role seems to fall clearly to the local hero. “Everything is working very well for us, but Charles is way ahead,” analyzed George Russell. Apart from that, Russell was satisfied.
Hamilton was also in good spirits and even resorted to superlatives: “It was a good day. Probably the best we’ve had so far this year.” He particularly praised the driving experience in the Mercedes W15 and the grip it was able to build up on the narrow city track. However, the setup of his Formula 1 car is not yet perfect.
“We still have a lot of work to do to improve the long runs and the graining on the front tires,” said Hamilton. Both of these, however, sound more like secondary issues. The long run is almost no factor on the extremely overtaking-unfriendly track, and the loss of tire performance over a stint is also small – compared to other tracks. The decision in Monte Carlo is usually made in qualifying.
Russell steering wheel spoils Mercedes’ show
Russell’s day was a little more turbulent than Hamilton’s. Especially in FP2. His steering wheel revealed a very annoying peculiarity. “As soon as I hit the brakes, the steering wheel shook like crazy. I don’t know what was going on,” puzzled the Brit. “I held on to the steering wheel as tightly as I could. I held it like a gorilla, but it just kept shaking,” said Russell. Mercedes therefore had his car parked in the pits early before the end of FP2 to get to the bottom of the problem.
Mercedes engineer Andrew Shovlin announced that he would quickly troubleshoot the problem. “We need to get it under control by tomorrow, because it seemed to get worse over the course of the day and was very disruptive this afternoon.” On Saturday, Mercedes must first underline its pace. Then Max Verstappen will probably be back in action again. Red Bull had not revved the engine as much as its Formula 1 competitors on Friday.
Things haven’t gone according to plan for Mercedes in the 2024 Formula 1 season. A few weeks ago, we discussed where the problems lie in Brackley.