The Mercedes squad has been on cloud nine for the past two weekends. After failing to win a single race for the previous two years, the team has now two consecutive victories in the bag. While F1 fans may see this as a miracle, it extends beyond that. The technical staff, led by James Allison, worked extremely hard to accomplish these outcomes.
While Silver Arrow fans are already delighted, this is only the start. The team members, including Allison, have affirmed that they will continue to work. Furthermore, further enhancements are in the works that might increase the W15’s speed and balance. As a result, the team is expected to duplicate a similar racing show for the remainder of the 2024 season.
“It Wasn’t A Miracle Front-Wing,” Wolff Breakdown The Epic Comeback
The ground effect regulations brought a ton of misfortune for the Mercedes squad. Thus, the team had to endure two years of failure and misery. However, the technical team finally broke through the labyrinth of aerodynamics. Moreover, as the team introduced new flexi front wings, their performance was propelled to the next level. As a result, F1 aficionados considered it a eureka moment, connecting the Mercedes resurgence with the front wing update. To everyone’s surprise, Toto Wolff, in a recent media interaction, revealed that the magical front wings aren’t the reason behind their success. He gave the credit to James Allison and his team, as there was a ‘moment’ when all the data aligned with their goals. Thus, everything that had been unclear suddenly fell into place.
Moreover, the Austrian motorsport executive feels the team was focused on improving the car’s balance and hitting the sweet spot. Thus, when they reached their desired goal, the W15 started behaving differently. Therefore, the front wing wasn’t the eureka moment; instead, finding the right balance led to their two consecutive victories. Notably, after consistent failure, James Allison was about to hand over his resignation. However, Toto Wolff convinced him to continue his work, and the current Mercedes success is mainly attributable to his tactics.
James Allison Gives An Insight Into The W15’s Technical Aspect
According to James Allison, the front wings were not even used to their full potential. The Silver Arrows’ technical director indicated that the revised configuration will be more noticeable during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
He also stated that the front wings helped the drivers traverse slow curves more easily. These bends were prolific at Silverstone and will be much more frequent at the next Hungary Grand Prix. Thus, Allison is optimistic that the new front wings, intended to boost speed, will have a substantial influence next weekend.