Mercedes are looking to build upon their momentum from Canada. Toto Wolff has revealed that more upgrades will be fitted to the W15 at the upcoming Spanish GP. This confirms what formu1a.uno reported several weeks ago, being that the Silver Arrows have regular upgrades planned for the European leg of the season.
Even in a sport with the complexities of Formula 1, pragmatism and logistics play a huge role. When F1 returns to Spain, there will be a flurry of events in Europe before the summer break.
Given that all F1 teams are based in Europe (the majority in England), bringing upgrades to these events will be more feasible than at other rounds. For Mercedes, this geographical practicality coincides with a breakthrough in understanding.
The W15 is no longer an enigma, with the engineers in Brackley capable of extracting more performance from it. For the first time in two years, the data from the wind tunnel is correlation to what actually happens on track.
As a result, the Silver Arrows can aim high. After missing out on victory in Canada, Toto Wolff is optimistic there will be more opportunities:
“I think when you finish third and fourth [from] where we have been coming from, then it’s a positive race.
“Three and four is much better than we had previously in the last few races, so that’s good.
“But I think both drivers saw that more was up [possible to achieve]. We could have maybe gained a position or two, and that’s why there is a kind of negative sentiment that pervades.”
MONTREAL, QUEBEC – JUNE 09: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing, Second placed Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Third placed George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes attend the press conference after the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 09, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202406091131 // Usage for editorial use only //
This assessment is consistent with those delivered by George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Whilst having the pace to win is a huge revelation, failing to fully capitalise on this speed is frustrating.
Still, the team is now in a position to fight at the front regularly. Having tested a series of different floors and front wing specifications, James Allison’s team seems to have found the sweet spot.
The next few rounds will validate how much whether this level of performance is sustainable.
Toto Wolff is hopeful of what more upgrades can deliver:
“But if you would have given them third and fourth before the weekend, [we] probably would have taken it.
“I think definitely since Imola we’ve taken the right steps and put parts on the car that were working.
“That is something that we were struggling with in the past couple of years.
“We have some new parts coming in Barcelona. That should help us. So I would very much hope that we can continue this positive trajectory,” he concluded.
