Team Mercedes has struggled enough with their car since last year. They had won a single race last season in the Brazilian Grand Prix. But in 2023, the German team has failed to live up to expectations as they are still looking for their first win even after 15 races. Most importantly, Mercedes learned from the mistakes that they have made in these last two years. Last year, after they had a one-two finish in Sao Paolo, Brazil, they changed their plans to go in a new direction with the car.
It proved to be a disastrous decision for the team in 2023. Hence, they won’t make the same mistake again. The last Grand Prix in Marina Bay saw a strategic masterclass of Mercedes, helping them to get as close as possible to their first win this year. But Toto Wolff’s team has decided to go in a whole other direction with the car. Hence, they won’t continue with the same concept of W14 and W13.
Mercedes Won’t Second Guess About Throwing W14 To The Bin
Recently, in an interview with Motorsport.com, Toto Wolff mentioned that they won’t hesitate to throw W14 to the dustbin. They are getting positive responses from the development of the W15 car for the 2024 season. Moreover, as per Toto Wolff, Mercedes is keen to embark on a new journey with an encouraging perspective of the new W15 car. The Mercedes boss pointed out that the tunnel of the new car will be closer together and have better balance. Hence, they have many answers to their questions about their new car. Toto Wolff has said this before as well that the W14 car is still “A surprise box.”
They need to learn more about the car in the remainder of the season. Moreover, the W14 car has been pretty unpredictable throughout the season, with fluctuating performances and the way it handled out on the race track. But Mercedes’ boss claims that every learning of this season’s car will help in the development of the 2024 car. However, Toto Wolff believes nobody is working on their current cars anymore.
Even After All The Upgrades, W14 Is Still Winless
The Brackley team has made a lot of changes to the car this year. Clearly, they are on to something as they are trying to figure out the best version of the car. In these 15 races of the current season, the fans have seen the Mercedes car evolve from the zero side pod concept to a new B spec version of their vehicle. They have introduced new side pods, front and floor suspensions, and also a new front wing.
However, even after all these upgrades, they are still winless this year. The Mercedes CTO Mike Elliot mentioned a few races ago that they have shifted their focus to the development of the next year’s car. However, the Brackley team will still hope to push W14 to its limit. It is to know more about the car’s limitations and strengths. After all the data and information, they can chalk out the perfect plan for the next year’s car.