The Mercedes W15 certainly hasn’t covered itself in glory in the opening rounds of F1 2024. Following the concerning results from the Saudi Arabian GP, Toto Wolff’s personnel have worked to understand and analyse their issues.
In this context, the Australian GP is essential to validate the team’s direction at the beginning of the season.
Mercedes has very few highlights to start the season. The Silver Arrows failed to claim a podium in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia, and they are currently behind Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren in the Constructors’ standings.
The W15 is a car that has demonstrated potential, but its shortcomings are very clear.
TOTO WOLFF: “WE HOPE FOR SOME INITIAL PROGRESS IN MELBOURNE”
Mercedes’ performance in Sakhir and Jeddah has been thoroughly analysed before the team’s travels to Australia. Toto Wolff has explained the weak and strong points that emerged in the first two races:
“We have worked hard since Jeddah, building on the lessons learned from the first two races. It’s encouraging to see the potential of the W15, but there are also clear areas for improvement.
“We looked competitive in the low- and medium-speed corners, but the high-speed ones have been a weak point so far.”
The Brackley-based team expects to see the first positive responses in Melbourne, as outlined by the team principal:
“We worked hard to understand why our performances did not reflect our expectations. Improving this aspect is an important goal. We hope to make some initial progress for Melbourne, and that work will guide our development over the coming weeks .”
THE W15’s ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
A consistent trend has emerged in the first race weekends of 2024. Mercedes began both events on the front foot in Practice, only to slowly regress in qualifying and the race. This has cost the team several points, as Wolff himself explains:
“We left points on the table in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. We started each weekend strongly, running our usual free practice programmes, but we were unable to deliver on our initial promise.”
The highly competitive nature of Red Bull’s chasers means there is a very limited margin for error. Wolff concluded:
“With the chasing pack being so close, maximizing the car’s potential each weekend is key. Albert Park gives us another chance to show what we can do.”
