As the first quarter of F1 comes to a close, Mercedes has accumulated 64 points up until the Miami GP, trailing behind its client team, McLaren. The team is experiencing a challenging period, and its star racer, Lewis Hamilton, is slated to join Ferrari in the 2025 season. The team has struggled since 2022 and has not yet secured a race win.

The root of these issues lies in the car’s design. The Mercedes F1 project, known as W15, has been disappointing due to a myriad of unresolved problems that engineers are struggling to fix. As a result, the German outfit is working tirelessly to implement significant changes for the remainder of 2024. However, the Mercedes driver George Russell believes the team overcompensated for the Miami GP, further extending their misery. 

Mercedes’ Technical Woes Persist Amid Underwhelming Performance

Mercedes arrived at the Hard Rock Stadium with an optimistic upgrade. The technical team tried to learn from the mistakes of the Chinese GP, hoping for a better outcome. However, the performance left the drivers with mixed feelings. The W15 project continues to puzzle everyone as the car consistently lags. The engineers are working hard to solve this problem but have yet to conquer the aerodynamic challenges. Russell seemed to have no answer when asked about his performance in Miami. Hamilton finished 16 seconds behind Lando Norris, while Russell was 34 seconds behind. Additionally, he was unaware of the ongoing issues with the W15 car. During a recent media interaction, Russell proclaimed that the Silver Arrows are the fourth-best team in the grid. Moreover, he feels the eighth-time constructors’ champions have ‘overcompensated’ in an attempt to rectify the past mistakes. The overcompensation will only exacerbate their problems as the team continues to search for answers.

Since the implementation of the ground effect, Mercedes has experimented with multiple configurations, but none have resulted in a competitive car. The ‘zero-pod’ design failed in 2022 and was subsequently removed in 2023. The team continues to struggle with unresolved issues, particularly with aerodynamics. The team principal, Toto Wolff, recently confirmed that upgrades are underway. However, he stressed that quick fixes are not a solution. Consequently, the next upgrade may take several weeks to implement. Despite a lack of confidence, the team hopes their efforts will yield positive results.

Former World Champion Predicts Podium for Imola Grand Prix

While Mercedes struggles to regain form, former world champion Damon Hill has predicted the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix podium. During an F1 nation podcast, he picked up his top three for the weekend. The Imola GP will mark the beginning of the European leg, with plenty of significant upgrades in line. 

Damon is excited because Imola will provide a better opportunity to witness the Verstappen-Norris rivalry. He feels it will be difficult for Lando Norris to outpace Max this time around. Thus, the top three could be Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, followed by Lando Norris.