Mercedes’ ongoing struggle with faulty upgrades has become a persistent narrative for the Silver Arrows over the past two and a half years. Each time the technical team rolls out a bold upgrade package, the car seems to face new issues related to balance, oversteer, or aerodynamics. The Brackley-based constructors have yet to establish a lasting technical fix.
Earlier in the season, during the Belgian Grand Prix, introducing a new floor had to be abandoned when it caused the car to behave differently. Despite experimenting with various configurations, nothing has produced the desired results. Thus, the team will no longer look for alternatives as it has shifted the focus to the 2025 season.
Mercedes Exhausts Upgrade Packages, Shifts Focus To 2025 F1 Project
Mercedes arrived in Austin, Texas, with a range of updates focused primarily on the front wing, front suspension, and floor of the W15. Despite the intense competition at the front of the field, particularly in the ongoing title fight between Red Bull and McLaren, the team’s development efforts remain centered on this year’s car.
However, Andrew Shovlin indicated that Mercedes is beginning to shift its focus toward next year’s car, which involves scaling back on upgrades for the W15. He noted that the team has brought almost all the updates it plans to introduce for the remainder of the season. While the team will continue learning from each race and making minor adjustments, no significant updates are planned.
Currently sitting fourth in the constructors’ championship, Mercedes has faced its lowest finish since 2012. As the team aims to improve its performance on the grid, Shovlin expressed confidence that the new floor design will provide a much-needed boost. He explained that the team had conducted extensive work to ensure that the new components would deliver the expected performance in terms of pressure and load. Shovlin emphasized that the process of validating these updates is crucial, and the team will use the upcoming races, including the one in Mexico, to gather more data and continue their learning process. While Mercedes is scaling back on major updates, it remains committed to refining its performance as the season progresses.
James Allison Explains The Reason Behind Failure In Austin
James Allison provided insights into the performance of the upgrade package implemented on the car, noting that it behaved as anticipated. He confirmed that the downforce was present and that there were no noticeable issues with the flow structures under the car before any spins. This suggests that the upgrade is functioning effectively and should continue to benefit the team for the remainder of the season.
Allison explained that the problems experienced, particularly the spikiness that led to several crashes, were due to the car being too low and stiff. This configuration caused the handling to degrade to an unacceptable level.
He also mentioned that the team had less time than usual to fine-tune the car’s setup since it was a Sprint weekend, contributing to the challenges. Moving forward, Allison expressed optimism about the upgrade package, stating that the team would continue to use it and monitor its performance in the upcoming races.
