Team Mercedes has been waiting for new upgrades ever since the opening race in Bahrain. They long before realized that the old concept of zero side pods is just not working. But not before the sixth race of the season, the German team could implement the new upgrades. Hence, they had first planned to implement the modifications in Imola, Italy.
But the race got canceled because heavy rainfall caused a terrible flood in Imola. As a result, the Silver Arrows decided to test the upgrades in Monaco, even though it was not an ideal place to test modifications. The new upgrades included left and right side pods and new front and floor suspensions. To fans’ surprise, the team achieved amazing results with P2 & P3 podiums for both Lewis Hamilton & George Russell. Clearly, the team and the fans are very happy, but why not the boss? Keep reading to find out.
Mercedes Team Boss Is Not Sure About The Benefits Of The New Upgrades
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff recently revealed his continuous dissatisfaction with the revamped W14 car. As the boss mentioned, “I’m never optimistic. Fools are optimistic.” He is not sure that the new side pods are a good idea to be in the car. It will take a while to convince the boss. First of all, the Mercedes team needs to start winning races to take the lead. Otherwise, there will be no peace in the boss’ heart. As Toto Wolff spoke with Motorsport Magazine’s F1 journalist Christian Menath, he revealed that the floor was the key, but it won’t work in isolation. Apparently, the other parts of the car also need to reciprocate.
Toto Wolff even revealed what his conversation with Andrea Stella was like. They mainly discussed how essential the side pods are to the car’s floor. Moreover, the side pods need to be as wide as possible to get the best performance from the car’s floor. Mercedes’ boss also mentioned the difference of opinions between him and 1000 engineers back in the Brackley factory. The engineers just wanted to get rid of something from the equation to figure out where the problem lies. But Wolff did not agree with that process. However, the Mercedes team principal said, “Who am I to judge 1000 engineers of the team back home?”
Andrew Shovlin Says Race In Montreal Will Be A Different Challenge
To add more to the discussion, Andrew Shovlin, the trackside engineering director of the Silver Arrows, mentioned that the Canadian Grand Prix is going to be a tougher challenge for Mercedes. The track is not as easy as Barcelona because Montreal has a lot of low-speed corners and plenty of straight lines. Hence Shovlin stated, “We expect a lot of challenges over there. We need to check how well we do going full throttle.” Apparently, the Mercedes team is not sure about going even close to Red Bull in the Canadian Grand Prix.
Even though they did not get a podium finish in the Monaco Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton came fourth and sounded positive. The seven-time champion mentioned, “The car feels good. We just need to build on the improvements from here on.” Later in the Spanish Grand Prix, the Mercedes duo came second and third, earning their first double podium of the season. It is a great positive for the German team, who had been struggling with the car for more than a year.