The Mercedes team is living a fairytale comeback, nothing short of a Hollywood movie. A team that started the season with almost zero hopes is back in some style. Despite undergoing a lackluster couple of seasons, the technical team kept its heads high. As a result, the Silver Arrows could tame the ‘aerodynamic” beast, blocking its success path.
As the 2024 season comes to a standstill at mid-point, the Brackley-based outfit is competing for the top spots. However, the squad wants to continue where they left off as the Formula One world returns to the racing circuit after a long summer break. Therefore, the James Allison-led technical crew is ready to experiment with the W15 configuration to tweak specific issues.
Mercedes Aims To Improve The Failed Floor Upgrade In Dutch GP
The Three-Pointed Star is on a roll, winning three races coming into the summer break. The sudden upturn in its performance is due to the technical advancements. The team had been grappling with the aerodynamic issues. Since the introduction of ground-effect regulations, the German Marque has failed to find the precise configuration. As a result, every F1 project could not win races due to a lack of control and responsiveness. However, with the correct mindset and approach, the technical team persisted with the experimentation. Ultimately, the team discovered the panacea, as they were back to winning ways.
However, in an attempt to eliminate the remaining problems, the team introduced a new floor to Spa. The latest front wings, the critical factor in Mercedes’s upsurge, somehow triggered a porpoising issue. Porpoising refers to vertical vibrations experienced by the F1 car at high speeds. A new front-end element was installed to increase the load, but the car was then bouncing on straights. Subsequently, the team realized the low ride height and rigid suspension were the main culprits for this issue. Therefore, the team will re-introduce the floor upgrade used in Belgian GP to stabilize the car. It was uninstalled after the FP sessions in Spa as the car behaved weirdly, according to the Mercedes drivers. However, as the Technical team sounds confident, the Silver Arrows might be unstoppable in the Zandvoort race if the new upgrade works out.
“We Have Some Ground To Make,” Toto Wolff’s Mercedes Assessment Ahead Of The Zandvoort Race
Despite a game-changing comeback, the Mercedes chief is cautious about stepping out of the summer break. During an interaction with Formula Passion, Toto Wolff acknowledged the team’s hard work in gaining momentum ahead of the summer break. He believes the car is in perfect shape and will continue to shine.
However, the team boss is prudent ahead of the remaining ten races. As the competition is converging, there is no room for error. Therefore, Wolff feels that despite the upsurge, the German Marque had ‘ground to cover’ if they wanted to win more races.
