Mercedes, as of this writing, stands second in the constructors championship, with Ferrari trailing with a mere 28 points. Thus, the Brackley-based team needs urgent intervention to defend the position. Having said that, the recently concluded Qatar GP did major damage as the drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell crashed on Turn 1, which led to an early retirement for Hamilton.
While George Russell secured P4, Lewis Hamilton ended up without any points. The unfortunate incident not only endangered Mercedes’ constructors bid but also Hamilton’s place in the drivers’ championship. Regardless, the Silver Arrows have regrouped and are set to introduce a fresh round of upgrades during the upcoming race in Austin, Texas.
Mercedes To Bring In New Floor, But Cautious Of Performance Gain
After the Qatar GP fallout, Mercedes desperately needs some points to defend P2 in the constructors championship. The current calendar has only five rounds left, which leaves minimum room for the Silver Arrows to defend. Moreover, the raging competition from Ferrari and McLaren is further making things tedious for the team. Nevertheless, the Brackley-based team will introduce a fresh set of upgrades to W14 at the next race in America. At Qatar, George Russell’s W14 showed signs of life, which serves as an encouraging sign for the team. Had the crash been averted, the British duo could have ended up on the podium. Regardless, the team will aim to maximize the pace next race weekend in Austin, Texas.
James Allison, the chief technical director of Mercedes, confirmed the arrival of the new upgrade package. He said that they will introduce a new floor to the W14. However, Allison also advised the fans to keep their expectations in check as the upgrades are meant for better understanding and not performance or pace enhancement. “It will give us some gain from a chronometric point of view. But it will serve above all to understand if we are on the right track,” said James Allison. Apparently, the Silver Arrows have already shifted focus to 2024 and remain fully committed to W15. The upgrades introduced to W14 are just for learning purposes so that they can avoid making mistakes next year. Thus, the fans must not expect a dramatic turnaround from hereon.
George Russell Confident Of Closing Gap To Red Bull In 2024!
For the second time in a row, Red Bull sealed the constructors and drivers championship before the season reached its conclusion. While the Bulls have no existing immediate competitor whatsoever, Mercedes is confident of a fight in 2024. George Russell recently spoke about his team’s development and said that the engineers have figured out areas of improvement. They are no longer looking at the problem but instead are working on the solutions.
“We’ve made some really good findings recently with regards to the aero of the car and some of the bits and pieces on the car, which is looking very promising,” said George Russell. However, the Briton clarified that one cannot promise anything in F1 since it’s a relative game. Regardless, the kind of the progress that he has seen, he is confident of a turnaround next year.