Questions have been asked about whether Mercedes have﷽ found an optimal set-up for both q꧟ualifying and racing ahead of today’s F1 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were frequently much stronger in races thaꦓn in qualifying last year.

Russell ꦺqualified in P3 for today’s Bahrain Grand Prix with ๊Hamilton P9 (but only half-a-second behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen).

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insisted afte🦩r qualifying that their W15 was set up to excel in the grandꦅ prix itself.

“Yes, that’s 𝔍the noises coming out of them,” Damon Hill reacted ꩵon Sky Sports.

“They focus on race pace.

“This cold weather will be a big part of [Saturday’s] story because it’s not what they were exp💫ecting.

“It may be that you c🌳an go onto the haꦡrd tyre and push like crazy, because you have to get some heat into it somehow.

“It’s a big weekend for George, with the news tha🌊t Lewis is going.

“He wan♍ts to establish himself. He’s got a good qualifying in there.

“The race could be very interesting for him.”

Hamilton did not cut the frustrated figureಞ in Bahrain that was occasionally on show last year after qualifying runs.

Tꦛhe seven-t💛ime F1 champion was upbeat about the W15’s development.

“Yes, that was positive,” Naomi Schiff🌟 reacted. “He ended his statement by saying he hopes to move forward.”

But Schiff noted: “What their issueꦕ here has been: after testing, they felt like they had a stꦏronger long run pace.

“They went back h❀ome, put the driv꧒ers in the simulator to find the adjustments to make the car quicker on a one-lap pace.

“So, it seems f𒆙or the moment, that it’s one or the other.

“They don’t seem to have a set-up𓄧 that works for b﷽oth.

“Let’s see whether it pays off.

“H🎃e’s got some cars in front of him - Leclerc, Sainz, Perez - a lot of quick cars that he’s got to get past, if he wants to get to that podium.”

Hamilton hasn’t won an F1 grand ♏prix since 2021 and this will be his final season with Mercedes before joining Ferrari.

💮Ru♏ssell, who outscored Hamilton in 2022 but not in 2023, will benefit from his better Friday by lining up six places further forwards on the starting grid.