Following a successful weekend in Canada in the previous race, the team is now focusing on Barcelona and the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.
Lewis and George have another opportunity to evaluate themselves and the upgraded W15 car at the challenging Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
George stated during Thursday’s media day that they had some signs suggesting they would perform well in Canada, due to the similarities of the corners around the entire circuit. “I believe that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will be a true challenge for us, and I am confident that we can perform well this weekend, which is a positive sign for the rest of the season.”
Lewis stated that they have not been to a high-speed circuit yet, but he remains confident about the team’s performance.
Barcelona’s Team is coming off their most successful weekend of the season in Montreal, with George securing pole position and a podium finish, while Lewis finished in fourth place and also set the fastest lap. Despite lingering thoughts of missed opportunities, George’s main priority is to ensure a win for the Team.
“In 2022, I don’t think I was pushing myself as much as I am now and I didn’t make any mistakes really throughout the whole season,” he said.
“Now I’m really, really pushing myself because I want to get that victory for the Team.
“If I was fighting for a Championship, I probably wouldn’t be pushing myself or risking that much during these races but right now we’re not fighting for the Championship. We had half a chance of victory and I went above and beyond to achieve it and probably went too far.”
One of the areas of success for the Team this season has been pit stops, with overall pit lane time right at the top of the field, pushing the best teams on the grid each and every race, something Lewis was keen to highlight.
“They’ve [the pit crew] gone above and beyond to train more, to prepare more,” he said.
“You see the team doing exercises in the pit garage, lots and lots of stops back at the factory, even in their off time, the performance is really starting to show.
“I’m really, really proud of the team in the garage who have been doing a great job, particularly of recent, with our stops and I’m sure the team will continue to make more strides in a positive direction.”
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a track both drivers are very familiar with and have enjoyed success at – Lewis has joint-highest number of victories (six) alongside Michael Schumacher.
Last year saw both drivers on the podium and when asked whether the Team could see another favourable result this weekend, George was positive.
“I’m feeling really good, I’m in a good place with myself, the car, I think there’s no reason why we can’t be competitive again, but we need to wait and see where Red Bull fall out.”
He added: “We’re making really good steps forward at the moment, we think we’ve got more things to come in the future races but for this weekend we have to wait and see.”
The Team is beginning to notice positive results, which are a direct result of the dedication and hard work of all individuals working both at the trackside and in the manufacturing facilities in Brackley and Brixworth. Though the past few years have been challenging for the Team, Lewis perceives a cohesive group working together to strive for optimal outcomes consistently. Over the years, we have consistently been a cohesive and hardworking team.
He continued by saying that everyone is in the same situation, putting in the effort collectively with the goal of ending on a positive note. He believes this is necessary to honor the strong bond they have built over time.
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