While there exists no silver bullet for Mercedes’ woes, the German manufacture is trying it’s best to somehow salvage the damage done during the new set of technical regulations introduced in 2021. This year, which was presumed to be their best since 2021, has turned out to be the worst of all time.
Mercedes hasn’t been able to extract racing pace from W15, and their struggle is increasing with each passing day. That being said, ahead of the Imola GP, the Silver Arrows have an upgrade lined up, which could possibly help W15 be a little less exposed in the following three race weekends.
Mercedes Looking Forward To Positive Results In Monaco, Montreal & Barcelona
After much contemplation and delays, Mercedes introduced some nominal upgrades to the W15 in the recently concluded Miami Grand Prix. However, the upgrades were understandably not enough given the mountain of problems that exist inside that machinery. Hence, to curb the woes, the Silver Arrows have its season-first mega upgrade package lined up for the upcoming Imola Grand Prix. Ahead of the big race weekend, the team’s trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, reckoned that W15’s fundamental issues will be a little less exposed in the following tracks after the Imola GP. Shovlin explained that the circuits of Monaco and Montreal are predominantly low-speed corners, whereas Barcelona has been revamped with a new layout minus the chicane. Hence, that fast-paced circuit is also likely to suit the W15.
That being said, Andrew Shovlin confirmed that the upgrades are no silver bullet and would not necessarily be enough to catch Red Bull. The team is keeping their expectations in check and just working towards extracting as much pace as possible. “Fundamentally, we need to develop our way out of this problem by bringing performance updates to the car,” said Shovlin. Notably, Mercedes has fallen behind Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren this season in the constructors championship with just 64 points added to the tally. And the situation is similar in the drivers standing as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell tumbled at the back of the grid. However, with a large half of the season yet to unfold, the Silver Arrows are hopeful of a turnaround and give a fitting farewell to outbound legend Lewis Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton Downplays Relationship Issues With Silver Arrows
Lewis Hamilton‘s stunning move to Ferrari raked Mercedes amid an abysmal run, and critics linked his sudden move to the team’s incessant struggles. However, in a recent interview with CBS, Hamilton confirmed that he is not leaving because of a severed relationship with the German manufacturer. In fact, the parting year has been massively emotional for him.
“They’ve been with me through thick and thin. So, it’s definitely a strange transition at the moment,” said Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton added that he loves Mercedes and wants to finish on a high, which is not possible at the moment due to W15’s struggles and shortcomings. However, on a personal level, Hamilton is training hard to conquer when the product finally hits the sweet spot.
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