Mercedes did not have a great start to the 2024 season that they were hoping for. But they have been struggling for a long time now. It was in 2022 when they realized they didn’t have the car to contend for the title. Since the new regulations of ground effect rules and the cost cap era started, the German outfit has been only trying to understand the car. Even after a couple of years, they have not managed to fix the problems they need to develop the right car. Despite struggling to build the fastest car, they finished second last season.
However, Red Bull won the title by a huge margin. But in 2024, Mercedes has fallen further behind the Austrian outfit. After all, it is not just the Milton Keynes team, but McLaren and Ferrari are faster than Toto Wolff’s team too. Now, what can the Silver Arrows do to get better? Earlier in the season, Toto Wolff said they are not thinking about beating Max Verstappen and Red Bull anymore. It is because the Mercedes boss believes catching up to the pace of McLaren and Ferrari must be a more realistic goal. Currently, the Silver Arrows are ready to cure their “Underlying balance” issue.
Can Mercedes Fix The Underlying Balance Issue That Has Hold Them Back In 2024?
According to Autosport, James Allison said during the as usual post-race debrief video that they will introduce parts to handle the car better. Moreover, the technical director of the German outfit mentioned that there will be new upgrade packages for the Mercedes W15 car. On top of that, Allison added that the underlying balance problem has been causing them difficulty. Hence, Mercedes will come up with new components that should rectify the issue. Moreover, this way, Allison tried to reflect upon Mercedes’s up-and-down weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix. It was the first F1 race in China since 2019.
Moreover, Autosport quoted the technical director of the German outfit, saying, “It is painful to talk about the upgrades after coming through a difficult weekend like that in Shanghai.” Adding to that, James Allison said that he is trying to stay optimistic. The idea is that there will be those days in the future when the team will be able to execute all the plans perfectly. Hence, they want to be more on the front foot and keep on progressing. Allison added, “That’s when the pleasure of talking about races will be massive, and those days just can’t come soon enough.”
James Allison Trying To Be Happy With Double Point Finish In Shanghai
The Mercedes technical director mentioned that they were able to deliver a “Well-executed race” in Shanghai. They had a double-point finish. However, the result was far from the high expectations Allison and his team had. They still can’t get an overall performance with which to be happy.
James mentioned they had a front limit throughout the year. Most importantly, Mercedes is struggling at the low-speed corners. But on the weekend in Shanghai, the car really amped up to 11, Allison said. He addressed the issue with the front tires, which have been causing problems around the corner. Somehow, they are still not able to solve that issue.
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