Mercedes still struggles with erratic performance, as seen by recent races in which they fell well short of the pace-setting Ferraris and McLarens.
Mercedes have a 146-point gap to third-place Red Bull and a 280-point lead over fifth-place Aston Martin going into this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix. They have a strong chance to finish fourth in the F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship.
Mercedes will not be bringing upgrades to the upcoming event in Brazil. With George Russell experiencing crashes recently, Toto Wolff has acknowledged that the team may face limitations on the number of new parts they can add to the car due to the cost cap.
Mercedes W16 unveils ambitious F1 2024 upgrades
There are no more “major” changes planned for the current W15 car. Andrew Shovlin views the remainder of Formula One 2024 as a “good opportunity” to test the W16. He stated that the team plans to use the remainder of F1 2024 to try to gain an advantage in the W16 the following year.
“It is certainly a good opportunity for us to do a bit more experimentation in the race weekends, but the key thing for us is making sure we have done the important bits of learning before the 2025 season.” – Andrew Shovlin in Mercedes’ post-race Debrief program.
At the US Grand Prix, Russell crashed during qualifying. His shunt damaged the new W15 components that were installed. Mercedes had just one spare set to fit. As a result, they were compelled to ship the improvements back to the Brackley facility for repair.
The lower budget due to the cost cap forced them to modify the upgrade plan and invest in a new chassis. This left them with only two fresh funds available for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
So what can we expect from Mercedes in Brazil?
Mercedes are still unsure how the W15 will fair at the Interlagos track this weekend in Brazil. Their recent performance indicates that they could once more find themselves in the awkward middle ground they encountered in Mexico.
Toto Wolff said that Hamilton felt more at ease with the earlier setup. That was the setup Russell who was more comfortable, drove in, in Mexico. This may lead to a switch back to the old spec as they move to Brazil for this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix. This was something Hamilton anticipated following their fascinating duel in Mexico City. Mercedes is focusing on consistency and data collecting as they attempt to improve, team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged that recent weekends have not been particularly smooth.
In São Paulo, can Mercedes produce a “good” vehicle that can compete with the likes of Ferrari or will it just be another mediocre outcome? Mercedes is currently 146 points behind Red Bull in P3 in the F1 Constructors standings, much like their prior races.
Mercedes has won six races at Interlagos since 2014, making it one of their more successful tracks over the years. Last year, Brazil honoured Hamilton by naming him an honorary citizen in recognition of his three wins at the racetrack and his advocacy for Brazilian culture in Formula One.
Mercedes have a history of turning up at Interlagos, especially in recent years. Lewis Hamilton overcame penalties galore at the 2021 Sao Paulo GP to win the race. In 2022, Mercedes shocked the entire paddock with a 1-2 in Brazil – Russell’s first Grand Prix win. Could the Silver Arrows turn up again at the 2024 edition of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix?
