Last week in Jeddah, Mercedes faced difficulties, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton qualifying in seventh and eighth place respectively. Russell managed to finish in sixth place, while Hamilton ended up in ninth.
The atmosphere within the team, which has won the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship eight times, was quite somber as they struggled to comprehend their new car design for 2024, which took a completely different direction.
Hamilton repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with his car’s performance in the high-speed sections of the track through the team radio. He struggled to catch up with Lando Norris in the McLaren, despite both drivers being on similar tire strategies. Ultimately, the McLaren finished ahead of the Mercedes.
Reflecting on the team’s struggles in Jeddah, team principal Wolff acknowledged their lack of understanding, stating, “There is something we don’t comprehend. We are fast in almost every other aspect. We are aware that we have a smaller rear wing and we are compensating for the loss in corners. However, it is only at high speeds where we are losing significant lap time.”
Wolff expressed his concern about the weaknesses of the W15, emphasizing that they go beyond mere setup errors. He explained, “I believe this is a significant issue. There is only so much we can adjust here. Our simulations guide us, and based on that, we choose the setup range and determine the appropriate rear wing.”
He further added, “Getting the setup right or wrong may result in gaining or losing a few tenths, but it does not significantly impact performance. It seems to be more of a fundamental problem. We expect the speed to be there, we measure the downforce, but we do not see it translating into lap time.”
Even in the third year of the current regulations, Mercedes continues to struggle in finding solutions to their car’s performance issues. Wolff admitted, “For two years now, there has been something we need to identify and unlock. We need to keep working on it. We have put in tremendous effort, and we will intensify our efforts in the coming week with more data to gain a better understanding.”
He concluded with determination, “We will come back strong in Melbourne. We are fully committed to this mission, and I am confident that we will bridge this performance gap.”
If Mercedes continues to face these challenges throughout 2024, Hamilton may have no regrets about his decision to join Ferrari in 2025.