The Mercedes team re-discovered its mojo before the summer break. Winning three out of four races, the Silver Arrows enjoyed a solid comeback. The technical team led by James Allison found the panacea to all its worries. However, the post-break performance has resurfaced the W15 woes. The car suddenly lost pace while being severely off balance.
While the team is still trying to determine the exact issue, the new floor upgrade could be the culprit. However, drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton had differentiating opinions on the situation. Hamilton believes the performance dip is directly linked to the floor. Whereas Russell feels the floor is not concerning, other underlying problems exist. Now, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff and trackside engineer Andrew Shovlin have explained the entire conundrum.
Mercedes Explains The Confusion Over New Floor
Toto Wolff has admitted that the balance of the W15 has shifted unfavorably since Formula 1 returned to action at Zandvoort after the summer break. While the car is still capable of delivering strong single-lap performance, which is generally a positive sign, the team has struggled to maintain optimal balance throughout a race. The issue, Wolff highlighted, lies in keeping the tires in good condition over a race distance. This has been a recurring challenge since Zandvoort, with the car becoming more difficult to manage and the balance proving elusive. The challenge of finding the right setup has left the team on edge, searching for the ideal balance that would allow consistent race performance.
On the other hand, Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Head of Trackside Engineering, has shed light on the team’s recent efforts to evaluate their car’s performance, particularly focusing on the new floor package. Over the last few races, Mercedes has been comparing different setups, with a primary focus on the floor. Shovlin expressed confidence that the new floor will generate the expected aerodynamic load. However, the real challenge now is determining if there are any unforeseen handling issues that the upgrade may have introduced.
Andrew Shovlin Highlights The Challenge Of Upcoming Tracks
Further, Shovlin pointed out that each track has its own characteristics, which makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the car’s balance. While the W15 has performed well at certain tracks, at others, the team has struggled with maintaining a consistent balance, regardless of the aerodynamic package in use.
This variability could simply be a result of natural performance differences between circuits, but Mercedes is intent on analyzing the data gathered over the next few days to find any underlying patterns. In addition to assessing the floor, Shovlin mentioned that the team is introducing other updates to the car, which will add to the factors they need to evaluate as they continue to fine-tune the W15’s performance.
