George Russell is confident about the next set of Mercedes upgrades
Mercedes are introducing another update package this weekend, with new components arriving to the W15. The Silver Arrows are pleased with their recent progress, not just in terms of performance but also regarding the accuracy of their simulation tools. Upgrades are now working as Mercedes expect them to, which bodes well for their next set of improvements. With Red Bull’s upgrades falling short, George Russell is optimistic about the path ahead.
Mid-season development has always been essential in Formula 1, but has become increasingly critical in recent years.
This generation of ground-effect cars have proven trickier than anticipated, with theoretical downforce in the wind tunnel often failing to translate on track.
Throughout last season, this discrepancy was a limiting factor for Mercedes. Thankfully for Toto Wolff’s personnel, this missing performance is no longer a problem.
James Allison confidently discussed the team’s trajectory a few months ago, explaining that his technical department understands how to improve the W15.
Mercedes have a level of certainty and assuredness that eluded them in the first two years of these regulations.
Updates to the W15 could close the gap to McLaren
Because of this, George Russell is excited to see the impact of the upgrades arriving this weekend:
“I think Budapest confirmed what we already knew before the weekend – that we seem to perform much better in cooler conditions than in hotter races.
“There is now some rain in the forecast ahead of Spa,” Motorsport-total quotes him as saying.
“We have some upgrades, which makes it exciting to see if we can take them to the next step after what we achieved in Canada.
“When you see the problems other teams have in bringing upgrades to the car, which perhaps don’t work quite as they expect.
“We have the feeling that we are on the right track.
“And want to end the last race before the summer break with a highlight. We want to give the McLarens and Red Bulls a fight again.
“I think that’s what Formula 1 is all about.”
Mercedes upgrades could make the difference
The full list of Mercedes’ upgrades for the Belgian GP have been published. The upgrades arriving from Brackley are the biggest of any F1 team this weekend.
Weather forecasts suggest intermittent rain could impact the Belgian GP weekend. This will complicate efforts to collect data about the W15’s latest upgrades.
However, Mercedes can take confidence from their consistent performance in recent months.
Russell correctly identified that Red Bull’s latest updates in Hungary did not work as anticipated. This gives Mercedes a chance to assert themselves as the nearest challengers to McLaren.
Assuming their updates are even a small step forward, the Silver Arrows should be podium contenders again.
Modifications to their beam wing, diffuser and floor should build upon the development path established post-Monaco.
Cooler conditions in Spa should also favour the German constructor, tipping the scales in favour of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
