George Russell is concentrating on a podium end for Mercedes this weekend just after the crew relished 1 of its strongest Friday performances of the time so significantly.

He sat out the initially of the day’s classes although Nyck de Vries built his ultimate look for the crew as a Friday exercise driver. All through the tyre tests session later on in the working day, Russell was 1 of a handful of motorists who was equipped to operate 2022 rubber, and place his Mercedes on major of the occasions.

In the exact session Lewis Hamilton lapped fastest of the motorists who only ran Pirelli’s progress 2023 rubber. The functionality supported crew principal Toto Wollf pre-weekend prediction that the observe would accommodate their vehicle which has executed very best on substantial-downforce circuits.

“Today was 1 of our improved Fridays, if not the very best of the calendar year so significantly,” mentioned Russell just after exercise. “The vehicle is operating effectively and it felt great driving on this observe.”

All calendar year very long Mercedes have grappled with the dilemma of their W13 remaining considerably less aggressive about a one traveling lap. Russell uncertainties that will improve at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

“The rate was somewhat sturdy, but we know the worries at this circuit,” he mentioned. “For qualifying, the trouble will be to get the tyres in the ideal window for the one lap operate. And on Sunday, it will be tough to take care of temperatures for the motor and for the brakes.”

He thinks “a podium end must with any luck , be doable for us this weekend, so which is what we will be aiming for,” but admitted the disrupted Saturday classes built it tough to get a study on their rivals.

“Not getting the regular FP2 working, the place we get to evaluate the very long-operate functionality of our rivals, does not make it possible for us to recognize the place our rivals are and that can develop into a major problem if we will wrestle with tyre temperatures for the duration of the race,” he mentioned.

“We get some extremely beneficial learnings about tyre temperature administration for up coming calendar year and will be operating tough right away as it is not heading to be a simple weekend for guaranteed, but constructive learnings for us now.”

The team’s head of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin was also written content with their day’s function. “From what we can notify the vehicle is operating effectively on each one lap and very long operate,” he mentioned. “The harmony is not fantastic so we have received parts to function on right away, but a acceptable begin at what is usually a extremely tough circuit.”

2022 Mexican Grand Prix

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