Mercedes has only managed to accumulate 52 points in the Constructors Championship thus far. The team’s performance during the third year of the ground-effect era has been far from impressive. Brackley had high expectations for the W15 car during pre-season testing, but its lackluster performance has proven it to be mediocre in terms of pace. As a result, it has been advised that the team focuses on the fundamentals of the challenger.
The development of Mercedes’ W15 was initially intended to follow a more traditional approach throughout the season. However, its underwhelming performance has diminished Brackley’s chances of securing an early runner-up position. It has been recently announced that the W15 will undergo multiple updates prior to the Miami GP, in hopes of maximizing its potential benefits.
Regarding these upcoming updates for the Miami GP, there is a sense of confidence and optimism from the team. George Russell, a British driver, expressed curiosity about the advantages these updates would bring to the German constructor. However, Russell also acknowledged that the updates would not be a quick solution to the team’s struggling challenger.
Russell emphasized the importance of continuously improving performance and focusing on the basics. The Mercedes crew needs to allocate more time to the wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), while also increasing the downforce of the challenger. This increase in downforce would help stabilize the car at higher speeds, addressing a recurring issue faced by the team. Therefore, the path to enhancing the challenger’s performance is straightforward for the team.
George Russell made it clear that the team understands the need to increase the downforce on the car. He also pointed out how Mercedes had altered their philosophies and concepts during the development of the W15. Therefore, the German outfit simply needs to retrace their steps in the chassis development process and identify what went wrong.
Furthermore, Russell highlighted that the specific concept of developing a challenger is not of great significance. As long as the chassis possesses sufficient amounts of downforce, it will be enough to yield better results. Any limitations that may arise from further increasing the downforce can be effectively addressed by the team. Such updates would result in immediate benefits for Brackley’s performance in the 2024 season.
Mercedes holds high hopes for an improvement in performance following the implementation of these updates at the Miami GP. Currently occupying fourth place in the constructors’ championship, the team’s aspirations for championship contention are rapidly dwindling. Therefore, it is crucial for the team to rediscover their winning form and present a formidable challenge to the dominant Red Bulls.