The Mercedes AMG F1 W15 pilot, George Russell, from Great Britain, left the pits during the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 1, 2024. The team principal, Toto Wolff, warned Formula 1 competitors that the full potential of their car was not shown in the season opener. Despite a positive test in preseason and a good start to the week, Russell dropped from third to fifth place in the race, finishing 46.7 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen. Both Russell and his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, faced challenges throughout the race, including instructions to cool their engines, costing them approximately 0.5 seconds per lap. Wolff acknowledges that Mercedes made a mistake in the cooling aspect of their car, but remains optimistic as both drivers gave positive feedback on its drivability. He describes their performance in Bahrain as disappointing and expresses hopes for a stronger showing in the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where they aim to better understand their performance compared to their competitors.