After opting against running their newest upgrades in Belgium, last weekend was the first time Mercedes used their latest specification. However, the downforce seen in the wind tunnel did not translate into usable performance. Speaking after the Dutch GP, technical director James Allison admits the effectiveness of the W15’s new package is unclear.
Mercedes are still unsure about the latest W15 updates
James Allison explains the situation
Roughly three months ago, James Allison made a series of ambitious statements about the W15’s trajectory.
His confidence was well placed, as Mercedes went on to win races in Austria, Britain and Belgium in the following weeks.
After a difficult start to the year, the British engineer managed to rectify the weaknesses that were hampering Mercedes in certain conditions.
Allison aims to make similar progress in the coming days, as he explained when asked if the W15’s newest package is working:
“The simple answer is, we don’t fully know.
“You can take some straightforward measurements and say the downforce it was supposed to deliver looked like it was there.
“So, on one level, you could say it worked as expected.
“But a lot of the pace of the cars this year is down to how well they handle.
“So it’s not just a question of if your aero package delivers you downforce, but is it delivering you the balanced car you need through the corners…
“Right now, we know it measured the downforce – but we’re not certain that it delivered good balance.
“That’s something to investigate as we go through the year.”
A crucial run of races incoming
The last three years have demonstrated how sensitive this generation of F1 cars can be.
Changes to wind conditions, temperature and even asphalt can dramatically impact performance.
An important source of progress for Mercedes this year has been developing a package that is more consistent in changeable conditions.
However, the team’s success with their previous limitations is not a guarantee of future improvement.
After all, the Silver Arrows are not the first team to struggle to optimise their upgrades.
Ferrari found themselves going backwards after their Spanish GP update package.
They have spent several months trying to resolve the issues brought by these updates, which generated more downforce at the expense of drivability.
Only now arriving in Monza, several months later, do Ferrari believe they have developed an antidote.
As outlined by James Allison, Mercedes now confronts a similar dilemma.
This weekend’s Italian GP should provide some clarity on whether the W15 can rediscover its ideal window.
