This is a sad story of a team that once used to rule the grid now has fallen so far back. Mercedes has struggled with their car since the last year. In every race, fans expect them to bring chances in the car that would likely lead them to the front grid. However, nothing solid has been seen so far. Next, the Silver Arrows will bring in new upgrades in the race in Imola. But the core design of the car remains the same. Experts believe there is only one way any team can get better results from their car in today’s F1. It is to follow Red Bull’s concept and design.
In the cost cap era and with FIA introducing new rules every now and then, the Red Bull car has earned the tag for being the fastest car on the grid at present. However, Mercedes is not willing to copy their arch-rivals just yet. Instead, the German team is relying on their original concept of W14. Moreover, this year as well, only minor modifications are made to the car for the ongoing race weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan. However, big changes are set for the car when the team goes to Imola.
James Allison Says Mercedes Is Not Looking For A Radical Change Even For 2024
The technical director of Mercedes, James Allison, has recently announced that they will stick with the same concept even next year. Hence, the question remains, despite struggling so much since last year because of the concept of W13 and W14 (this year). Why is Mercedes hanging on to the same core idea? Allison spoke to Autosport, answering the same question. He explained that tearing the whole car apart and saying, “No, enough with that,” is never a good idea. Mercedes is not making any radical changes to the car. Instead, they will work on the balance of the car and add downforce to the car.
According to James Allison, “A clean sheet design is not something any of us think as the right approach ahead of the next season.” However, the fans don’t get it and want a total change for the following seasons. He added that the engineers would work on the aerodynamics of the car. However, Allison said that there is nothing unique solution Mercedes is looking for. Any solution that makes their car faster is bound to make every other car on the grid faster. The only thing Mercedes needs to take care of is how fast these upgrades are coming up. As soon as the German team has the upgrades to the car, they can try to start closing the gap with Aston Martin and Red Bull.
The Brackley Team Will Fight With Whatever They Have Got
James Allison further asserted that the question everybody on the team should ponder is how competitive they are. If they can be the best in the world. Mercedes has got a great platform, and they need to work on getting the most out of it. They need to focus on how fast they can get their car on the right track.
Make all those necessary adjustments and try to take the fight to their arch-rival F1 team. Red Bull is currently 67 points ahead of them in the constructor’s championship. In between Red Bull and Mercedes, there is Aston Martin, who are 9 points ahead of the German team.