Paddock gossip has been sha🤪red that Mercedes mig🐲ht prove faster than expected in Bahrain.

Mercedes enter the season-opening F1 Bah🌟rain Grand Prix expecting to be behind the dominant Red Bulls, while also seeing Fer♔rari improvements through preseason testing.

But all may not appear as it seems.

Naomi Schiff said on Sky Sports: “The long run from Lewis Ha🌃milton [in preseason testing] has a few people in the paddoc✤k talking.

“Their race pace looks promising.

“Obviously Ferrari’s was as well🌃. That has been their Achilles heel and it looks like they’ve turned 💎that around.

“There is more coming from Mercedes than they🌱’ve m෴anaged to show.

“There were 💯secret nuggets that I’ve heard quite a few people in the paddock talking about.”

The front sus෴pension and wishbone are the most notable aspects of the W15, entering Bahrain.

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

B♑ut Damon Hill has noticed something completely diffe🌱rent about the W15’s preparation for the 2024 season.

“I think Ferrari are more comfortable, more compet♔itive,” Hill said.

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

“It’s okay getting 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 h𝔉as seemed like that for a long time.

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