Lately, Mercedes had a lot of hopes for the W14 car for the current season. But now, it is safe to say that those dreams are shattered into pieces. The German team thought if they continue with their older concept of zero-side pods, they could get better results this year. But it was not meant to be. It did not work in W13, and it is not working either in W14.
The Brazilian Grand Prix, last year, kind of fooled the Mercedes team into thinking that they should carry on with the same zeropods design. However, it was a major mistake that might cost them this season. Now, the team is desperate to amend their mistakes and bring in the best version of the W14 car that can bring them back into the frontrunners’ squad. And to achieve that, the Mercedes team has expressed their goal for the sixth race of the year in Imola many times.
Mercedes Working On Big Changes In W14
According to the boss Toto Wolff and driver George Russell, “Big changes are waiting for W14 back in Imola.” In the cost cap era, the powerhouses – Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes are not accessible to abundant budgets. They cannot spend as much money as they want on the car. Hence, in every race, the teams are planning to make small changes. As of now, only three races are done. There are still 19 odd races to go. After a point, those small changes in the car can make a big difference. Mercedes might have such hopes. George Russell recently tried to find the changes on the simulators of the Mercedes W14 car.
Russell had to answer some questions regarding what he felt about the simulator changes. The young Mercedes driver replied, “We are definitely headed in the right direction. The car is improving every couple of weeks.” George Russell feels that the lap timings will represent the gains on the car in due time. It may not change the course of the current season’s points table. But perhaps Mercedes will get ready to be a title contender in the future again. The budget limit rule might have confused the team’s strategists and engineers a bit. This is the plausible reason why the Brackley team has not figured out a way to build the best car for Hamilton and Russell.
Lewis Hamilton’s Suggestions Might Have Been Helpful
Lately, Lewis Hamilton complained that the team did not take his suggestions on the car. Hence, he is not feeling comfortable in the W14 car. The cockpit and the rear downforce are not raising hopes for the Mercedes team. The seat position is too far front, close to the front wheels. However, experts believe if Mercedes solves these problems, then Hamilton can get the most out of the car. All Hamilton needs is faith in the car, and then he can go full throttle. That’s what he does best. Currently, Lewis Hamilton is 20 points ahead of his teammate, George Russell.
After the first two races, Russell was ahead of Hamilton. However, after Russell’s DNF in Australian Grand Prix, and Hamilton’s P2 finish, the veteran gained a healthy 20 points lead over his teammate. The next race in Baku, Azerbaijan, will be critical for Mercedes to determine the improvements of the W14 car. It is a street circuit, and the Silver Arrows did not have a great time in Baku last season. The Mercedes team would want a change in their luck in Baku this year.