Paddock gossip has been shared that Mercedes mi🔴ght prove faster than ex🦹pected in Bahrain.

Mercedes enter the season-opening F1 Bahrain Grand Prix expecting to be behind the domi🌼nant Red Bulls, while also seeing Ferrari improvements through prese⭕ason testing.

But all may not appear as it seems.

Naomi Schiff said on Sk🦹y Sports: “The long run from Lewis Hamilton [in preseason testing] has a few people in the paddock talking.

“Their race pace looks promising.

“Obviously Ferrari’s was as w🥃ell. That has been their Achilles heel and it looks like they’ve turned that around.

“There is mo𒉰re coming from Mercedes th🍒an they’ve managed to show.

“There were secret nuggets that I’ve heard quꦛite a few people in th꧟e paddock talking about.”

The front suspension an♔d wishbone are the most notable ಞaspects of the W15, entering Bahrain.

Mercedes backed a totally new concept🥂 for the 2024 F1 season after a terrible two-year period.

But Damon Hill has n🐎oticed something completely different abꩵout the W15’s preparation for the 2024 season.

“I think Ferrari ꦫare more comfortable, more competitive,” Hill said.

“I think you’d have heard more positive noises coming out of Mercedes than we have done, if they really thought th🍸at they’d nailed it.

“It’s ok💖ay gett🎃ing rid of a spiteful rear end. That’s one thing.

“But you have to see performance.

“I thought ☂the Mercedes looked very difficult to drive, looking at some of the laps in testing.

“It seemed a rough ride, and it has seemed like that for a long time♍.

“Whereas the Ferrari looked subtle. It might be borneꩲ out of its race run pace. It normally means a car is looking after its tyres.”