Mercedes have completely corrected their early-season woes. The W15 is now competitive across all circuit types, largely thanks to a steady stream of upgrades. Mercedes are confident that the figures shown in the factory will be reflected on track. However, Toto Wolff admits he did not expect Mercedes to win in Austria or Silverstone – since more significant updates are planned for the next two races.
James Allison solves the mystery at Mercedes
For two years, Mercedes were left baffled by their poor development. More accurately, it was the discrepancy between the team’s data in the factory and the car’s on-track behaviours that became a source of frustration.
Despite showing flashes of pace in the opening rounds of the season, the Silver Arrows still couldn’t maintain their peak performance.
In a slightly less dramatic fashion than its predecessors, the W15 proved an unpredictable machine. Track temperatures and wind changes could wreak havoc on its balance – as evidenced by the swings in performance Mercedes experienced in the opening rounds.
However, James Allison and his technical team are now on top of this limitation. The first major breakthrough came in Monaco with the introduction of a new front wing.
Since then, as Toto Wolff explains, development at Mercedes is no longer a guessing game:
“Suddenly, everything that didn’t make sense made sense. And the results of development is like in the old days. We are finding performance, we are putting it on the car, and it translates into lap time.
“That wasn’t the case for the last two years,” he added.
Mercedes optimistic about upgrades in the pipeline
Of course, taking consecutive victories represents a huge morale boost for the team. After a very difficult period, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
That said, this is not the only point of significance for the team. Even accounting for the incident between Norris and Verstappen in Austria, Mercedes were still competitive relative to Red Bull and McLaren.
Traditionally, the Spielberg circuit was never a strong venue for the Silver Arrows. Even at the height of their F1 dominance, Austria was often where Verstappen and Red Bull could upset Mercedes.
Because of this, the W15’s performance three weeks ago is especially relevant.
The team’s improved relative performance in Silverstone confirmed that Russell’s victory in Spielberg was far more than a one-off result.
To make things more exciting for Mercedes, another step forward is expected:
“Honestly, we didn’t think it would be Silverstone, because more of the stuff [upgrades] we were putting on the car, we were more expecting Budapest or Spa.
“But we justified that what we do is right at the moment.”
Ultimately, there is no telling how the second half of the 2024 season will shape up. What does seem clear, however, is that the battle at the front of F1 is more dynamic than ever.
James Allison has been quietly confident about the team’s trajectory for a few months now.
As time passes, it becomes clearer why the Mercedes Technical Director is so optimistic.
