Once again, Team Mercedes has been in dire need of improvement this season. Their rivals Red Bull are thrashing them, and the midfielders are walking all over them. If the team does not bring the upgrades soon, it can be a trivial season full of frustration for the former champions. And according to F1 presenter Jolyon Palmer, Mercedes would look like desperate fools if they brought new upgrades to the car. But why does Jolyon believe it is a bad idea for them to implement changes before the Monaco GP?
Anyone following the Formula One season would be aware of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s struggles. The last year has not been the best for the two great racers who deserve podiums. Apparently, their team has consistently failed to give them a car that can help them reach the finish line before their competitors. This has even led Hamilton to consider leaving the team he has won so much with. Lewis thinks he has the potential and physical prowess to cross the finish line as an eight-time champion. Therefore, Mercedes could lose him to a better car manufacturer soon.
Mercedes Must Delay Their Upgrade Horses, Says Palmer
The former Formula One driver sheds his experience to tell Mercedes that changing the car before Monaco GP could be a disaster. Jolyon has had his fair share of racing on many tracks. Therefore, his advice could not be ignored. He had seen this situation before when the Lotus were turning into Renaults. The parts were new and different, and they had gone through a crash because of the newness.
“That’s the thing with Monaco: It is not the place to bring upgrades. The track is so different to anything else, they will be running the car in a completely different configuration because it’s high downforce anyway,” said Jolyon Palmer.
Therefore he wants Mercedes to wait until Spain GP, which is traditionally known for testing new cars. The track in France is one of the drivers’ most difficult races every season. And new changes would be a pain for the drivers to get accustomed to. According to Palmer, Barcelona could have been the perfect stage for the new upgrades rather than Monaco.
The Uprgrade Are In Modern F1
The B-spec upgrades that the Mercedes are trying to implement before Monaco are a rare sight nowadays. Only from 2020 to 2021, it happened that many carry-over cars were seen with these kinds of upgrades. Apart from being rare, the timing of the upgrades is also suspected to be a potential failure. But it looks like Mercedes have something else cooking in their garage.
Team Mercedes wanted to introduce the changes in Italy, but the circumstance did not allow it for the former champions. And now their desperation for the new upgrades has landed them at this turn. For them to even consider the idea, they must be pretty confident that W14B is a much better car. Otherwise, the experiment could also turn out to be a public disaster leading Mercedes to a further downfall.
