The 2024 season was dismal and dreary for the Mercedes squad. The never-ending slump felt like a lifetime, and their technical crew appeared confused. Furthermore, the team has failed to finish in first place since 2022 due to several technological issues. However, the Canadian Grand Prix gave the Brackley-based team a glimmer of optimism.
After painstaking work by James Allison and his team, the German Marque appeared formidable on the Mont Real course. As a result, George Russell took his first podium of the season. Furthermore, Lewis Hamilton was in contention until the last few laps. Despite finishing third, Russell had a good chance of winning the race. However, a few little blunders denied him the chance to win. Moreover, this slight push has reignited the fire in the squad. Thus, the team has now revealed future upgrade plans that will surely improve the hope of its world title.
James Allison Aims To ‘Bully’ Their Way Back To The Top
Mercedes’ new front wing arrangement was the talk of the Monaco Grand Prix. While George Russell used the new system, Lewis Hamilton had to make a sacrifice. However, the technical team stated that they only had one set of the upgraded wings, which Hamilton provided to Russell. Later, ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Toto Wolff said both drivers will utilize the updated setup. Furthermore, their performance at the Canada Grand Prix validated all of the hype around these new front wings. Moreover, this change is regarded as the foundation of the entire update. Previously, the underlying aerodynamic problem made corner balance very impossible. Concurrently, it was owing to the antiquated front wings with the ‘legality tube’ top flap impeding airflow. Thus, the results from the front wing update look promising.
James Allison explained the car’s performance on the Mont Real track and suggested the way forward. Despite the tweak, he felt buoyancy was not under control when making the car float. However, focusing on the positive, Allison expressed delight as they took a significant step forward in the car development battle. Further, the technical head suggested this was a litmus test for the upgrade, and the performance would remain the same on every circuit. Moreover, he accepted that the Canada track could be an outlier, as it suited the car. Thus, the upcoming tracks would be a ‘stern test’ for the car. Ultimately, Allison is pleased with the direction of the upgrades, and he asserted the team would undergo some radial development, ‘bullying’ its way to the top.
Christian Horner Replies To Allison’s ‘Downgrade’ Remark
Christian Horner replied to Mercedes and James Allison’s ‘downgrade’ comments by underlining Red Bull’s achievements despite the hurdles. He emphasized that despite their perceived inferiority, Red Bull outscored Mercedes’ improved vehicle, making the triumph especially thrilling.
Furthermore, Horner recognized that the team had encountered some issues in recent races but still won two of the previous three. Despite the car’s shortcomings, he highlighted their pole position at Imola and how it equaled the pole time at the current track. According to Horner, the team is focusing on fixing these difficulties to improve their performance to a greater extent.
