The Canadian GP was bitter-sweet for Mercedes. Although the W15 was capable of winning in Montreal, a series of mistakes from George Russell were costly. However, yesterday’s frustration will be eased by the team’s potential to fight for wins later in the year. More updates are incoming to provide further steps in performance and put the team consistently at the front.
For the first time in two years, Mercedes are confident in their development path. James Allison has overseen a series of highly effective updates, making critical changes after a tricky start to the year.
Whilst one race weekend is a small sample size, these changes are already generating results. Not only is the W15 more stable and predictable, but it is now correlating accurately from the simulator to the track.
WOLFF: WINS WITHIN SIGHT FOR MERCEDES
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has assessed the W15’s performance in Canada and overall trajectory:
“It has been an encouraging weekend. We have taken the right steps recently and brought updates that are working well. Directionally, we seem to be adding performance every Grand Prix.”
As reported by formu1a.uno several weeks ago, the Brackley-based team is pursuing an aggressive development plan.
Updates will arrive regularly in the upcoming rounds as Mercedes looks to build upon its new baseline. The team can now trust in their simulation tools and wind tunnel correlation. Therefore, upgrades can be relied upon to generate their desired impact.
Toto Wolff is optimistic about these incoming improvements:
“Everyone at Brackley and Brixworth continues to work incredibly hard, and it’s great to see their efforts rewarded with our first podium of the year.
“I hope that we can continue this positive trajectory. Looking ahead to Barcelona, it’s a circuit that really tests a car. We are excited to go there and truly understand where we are performance-wise.”
CRITICAL RACES AHEAD FOR MERCEDES F1
Indeed, the next five races will be critical for Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes. The Spanish circuit, once the home of pre-season testing, will provide more data points about the pecking order.
The same can be said for Austria and Silverstone, two circuits that will test these 2024 cars in different aspects. These events will be especially important for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s W15 machines.
It cannot be forgotten that, at the very start of 2024, Mercedes performed significantly better in cool conditions. Considering it was relatively cool in Canada, the bright sunshine of Spain should provide clarity on how sustainable the team’s performance is.
Still, while Mercedes narrowly missed out yesterday, Wolff believes the big picture is increasingly positive for his team:
“Today’s race was a challenging one. When you finish P3 and P4, given where we have finished in recent races, then, of course, it is positive. Both drivers know that we could have achieved more, though. We certainly could have taken one or two more positions and then maybe have fought for victory.
“It is a little bittersweet, therefore, but ultimately, if you had said to us before the weekend that we would be third and fourth, then we would have taken it.”
