Russell does not pass judgement on Mercedes updates yet after Friday
General
George Russell was already driving with updates in Monaco, but only in Spain can a real balance sheet be taken. Are the changes a step in the right direction? The Mercedes driver finds it difficult to pass judgement on that after two free practice sessions. What he does know is that his team still has one lap to improve.
"It's only Friday, I think we learn a huge amount and we'll dig into the data tonight. We know that we're not Friday specialists and we often take a bit of a step forward on Saturday and Sunday," Russell told GPblog and others in Spain. "I think a lot of people are bringing updates to the car. We weren't expecting to suddenly set the world on fire. We just need to learn what we can from the info we've got and try and move forward tomorrow."
The Briton is convinced pole position is out of reach, which is going to be a battle between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Behind them, anything is possible, he thinks (although he did not mention Aston Martin): "I don't think there is a fight for pole with anyone on this grid, so that's the way things are at the moment. I think it's going to be tight. There's a few cars who are definitely fast on Saturday. I think Alpine's are looking really strong. So between us, Ferrari and Alpine, it's probably going to be tight. Then maybe you've got Nico, who was really quick today. I don't know where that came from. But we saw that in Miami, I think. Kevin qualified ahead of us perhaps, but then things changed on Sunday."
Mercedes better in the race
So that is what Mercedes will have to rely on most in 2023. Speed in the longruns. "So I don't expect us to be having an incredible day tomorrow, but I certainly expect us to be having a better Sunday than Saturday so that's what we're gearing up for."