Allison sees improvements at Mercedes: 'Last year more disappointment'

Mercedes do not currently have the fastest car on the F1 grid, but they have two drivers who are a lot more happy with the car than they were at this time last year. At least, so says Mercedes technical director James Allison. The test days in Bahrain are over, and the Mercedes man is happy with how they went.

Allison looks back on the three days of testing, at the same venue where the first Grand Prix of the season will be run. "It was very productive. We had a very full test program. We were wanting to work through a bunch of setup changes that are really not possible once the season started."

World of difference from 2023 for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell stepped into the car again on behalf of Mercedes, for the last year, as Hamilton leaves for Ferrari in 2025. The test days were more valuable than last year, Allison explained. "Yeah, we were in a world of pain this time last year. And while we're certainly not the leading car right now, we at least have an honest, well-behaved thing that can put in decent long run pace."

Still, there are areas for improvement on the W15, according to the 56-year-old Briton. "And I think we've got a bit more work to do on the single laps, but it's definitely a much better-born car than the year before," he argued.