Mercedes’ Meteoric Revival: How Strategic Upgrades Turned the W15 from F1 Flop to Podium Powerhouse in 2024

How Mercedes Transformed Their Poor Start in an F1 Season After Over Ten Years

An in-depth look at Mercedes' impressive recovery in 2024 following a disappointing beginning, where they missed out on podium finishes in the first eight races.

Andrew Shovlin has described how Mercedes overhauled their W15 Formula 1 car following their poorest season start in more than ten years.

Mercedes had a tough beginning to the year, not managing to secure a podium spot in the first eight races.

This marked Mercedes' poorest beginning to a season since 2011, a year in which they failed to secure a podium finish in any race.

Nevertheless, improvements made in Miami and later in Monaco turned the W15 into a strong competitor at the forefront of the race.

In an interview with selected media outlets, including Crash.net, at the Belgian Grand Prix, Shovlin explained how Mercedes managed to reverse their fortunes.

He explained that they hadn't introduced any advancements in the initial races of the year, but began to make progress by implementing a new floor design in Miami.

“We decided to advance the introduction of a front wing that was originally scheduled for later in the season. We installed it on George's car for the Monaco race. By that time, it was evident that we had a car that was certainly capable of being developed and enhanced around the Monaco period.

Since that time, we've observed a remarkable series of updates for each track. As you resolve issues with the car's handling, the challenge becomes more straightforward, providing clearer insights into your next steps.

At the beginning of the year, our car's performance varied significantly with minor changes in track conditions. In Jeddah, the car experienced severe bouncing in high-speed corners. It has been quite challenging to resolve all these problems.

Despite Mercedes' recent success in securing victories in three out of the last four races, Red Bull and McLaren seem to hold the upper hand on the majority of circuits.

The W15 seems to operate most effectively either in colder environments or on tracks with minimal aerodynamic resistance.

He mentioned that tracks such as Budapest show that the rear tires are still getting too hot. Additionally, he noted that there is a need to improve the overall base performance.

“However, I believe that as the car’s speed has increased, the issues you’re addressing have also become more apparent.”

For the past two seasons, Mercedes has faced challenges in keeping up with the leading teams.

Even though Mercedes secured third and second places in the constructors’ championship, they were unable to compete with Red Bull as effectively as Ferrari managed in 2022 or McLaren did over the past year.

Shovlin now thinks that Mercedes has finally found the right direction following a lackluster beginning to the season.

"The starting point wasn't ideal," he clarified. "However, we've made significant progress in identifying and addressing the problems. We now have a clear path to achieving better performance."

"The annoyance comes from the fact that this is the third consecutive year we've introduced a car that didn't meet our expectations. However, we've gained significant insights from this experience."

"Considering the recent successful advancements have achieved the desired performance, and with next year's car expected to closely resemble this year's model, we are now more optimistic about continuing this progress into the next year than we have been in past years."

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