Mercedes Gears Up for More F1 Upgrades After Promising Podium Finish at Spanish Grand Prix

Mercedes hints at additional improvements following a promising performance at the Spanish Grand Prix

"The distance has been steadily decreasing…"

Mercedes found their performance at the Spanish Grand Prix quite promising and hinted at rolling out additional enhancements in the forthcoming Formula 1 events.

In consecutive races, Mercedes secured a spot on the podium through their own performance, this time with Lewis Hamilton earning his season's first third-place finish at the Barcelona race. He was closely followed by his teammate George Russell, who crossed the finish line in fourth place.

Recent progress has given Mercedes new confidence in overcoming the difficulties with their W15 model.

"In the team's most recent post-race debrief video, Mercedes' trackside performance director, Andrew Shovlin, shared that prior to heading to Barcelona, the team pondered whether George's pole position and their strong performance at the Montreal circuit was a unique circumstance to that location."

Montreal stands out due to its abundance of low-speed turns, coupled with the cooler climate. This combination made it difficult to build up heat in the tires.

"Barcelona offers a noticeably warmer climate, with significantly higher speeds and more intense energy levels. It's a circuit that really highlights a vehicle's capabilities and shortcomings. Thus, it was quite promising for us to observe that our speed was sufficient to secure a podium position there, without the need to gain from the mishaps of others.

"Undoubtedly, the car is performing efficiently. However, it's apparent that continual updates are crucial for maintaining our competitive edge, as the margin of difference has been steadily decreasing. We're diligently striving to ensure these enhancements are implemented with the hope of further narrowing this gap and ultimately reaching a stage where competing for victories becomes a tangible possibility."

Shovlin noted that the team's recent achievement of having both drivers finish in the top three in the latest two races showcases the advancements they've made due to the relentless effort at the factory. However, he expressed a desire for greater accomplishments beyond just securing third places.

"We're putting in a lot of effort, and we have strategies and components on the way. We're hopeful that everything will come together successfully."

Regarding Austria, navigating the circuit presents a challenge, especially during a sprint race. In a sprint race scenario, there's only an hour available to fine-tune and prepare the car. However, with the latest adjustments to the vehicle, it has become more manageable to handle.

The drivers are noticeably more pleased with the initial setups. This has led to fewer adjustments being needed. With any luck, this positions us well for the beginning of the weekend.

There are then two rounds of qualifiers and two distinct races to manage. Additionally, in Austria, the weather always adds an element of uncertainty. It can vary greatly, from being extremely hot to quite rainy, presenting numerous considerations.

"However, the racers and the team are really having a great time competing with the current car. We're in the mix for more significant points and are looking forward to kicking things off in Austria."

In response to inquiries about future improvements, Shovlin cautiously stated, “We've devised a strategy to enhance the car's performance, focusing on recent work areas, including aerodynamic and mechanical advancements, which we anticipate introducing in the upcoming races.

"At present, we're not keen on revealing our update schedule to our rivals as it could motivate them to accelerate their own updates. However, rest assured, we have additional content on the way."

The narrowing gap is increasingly motivating individuals to strive for incremental advancements. The competition in qualifying rounds has been incredibly close of late.

"Adding merely a fraction of a second in speed to a vehicle can significantly improve its starting position on the track. This enhancement opens up chances to achieve higher finishes. Therefore, we're working tirelessly. However, I prefer to keep the specifics of our development strategy for the upcoming races under wraps."

Explore Further

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Navigation

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is strictly prohibited to duplicate, in whole or in part, any text, photos, or illustrations in any manner.