Mercedes had a tough outing last season as they suffered due to the bad condition of the car. Mercedes’s car was filled with problems that messed up their season last year. Exactly a year ago, during the pre-season tests, the team realized they were in a lot of trouble. The car had to deal with the porpoising issue along with side pods and horsepower not supporting the car well. The drivers had to overcome a fierce battle with bouncing as the car gave them back and neck pains along with bruises.
To drive at their natural speed, every racer expects a fast and smooth car that the Brackley factory did not provide Lewis Hamilton and George Russel with the last time. But the good news is Mercedes has fixed those issues, as it was notable after the opening day of the pre-season testing for the upcoming season.
George Russell Talked About The New Problem W14 Is Facing
Albeit, it seems the following day, some new problems caught the attention of the drivers and the team. When asked about the latest problems, Russell said, “Balance is the new issue we have to deal with now.” The young driver of the Silver Arrows explained that it is a much better problem to have than those in the last year. Porpoising trouble was scary because it could destroy the hard work of the team for the whole season. Subsequently, the fear proved to be true as it did. But the trouble with the balance is not scary, and Russell hopes that the team will solve this soon enough. However, George Russell sounds optimistic about the whole situation.
As he says that certainly the W14 car currently has got problems, but it is not very shocking. According to Russell, the team is exactly where it wanted to be at this point. He adds that they are not lost and confused like they were twelve months ago. After the two days of the pre-season tests, it is fair to say that things are running smoothly for Mercedes. George Russell speaking to Motorsport.com, emphasizes on the key factor of reliability that is there within the team and finding the solution will be a matter of time. The young Briton expects Mercedes to give good competition to the defending champions later this year. Russell is confident that the car’s progress is on the right track.
What Do Mercedes Boss And Chief Engineer Feels About The New Problems?
Mercedes Boss Toto Wolff explained a little bit more about the issues with the balance of the new car. Wolff said, “The car is leaving tire marks when the drivers are accelerating because it is getting hot.” Wolff also mentioned that they don’t have the perfect setup for the conditions in Bahrain. He knows the team will have to learn and adapt the car’s technologies to all sorts of conditions. Toto Wolff said it takes a while with a new car. But Mercedes is looking to have softer tires that will help them more in Bahrain.
Mercedes Team Principal suggested that it’s not the fault of the drivers. But the car that’s not giving them enough support from the rear. Meanwhile, the boss is also confident. He believes they will figure out the solutions in these three days of running the tests. The trackside engineer of Mercedes, Andrew Shovlin, revealed that they are looking into the matter. And will investigate all night and day if needed to find out the differences. What went wrong during the performances of the car on the opening day and the next day?