At the recent Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes showcased a stronger performance compared to previous races. George Russell clinched pole position and finished third, just ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. The newly repaved Montreal track certainly played a role, offering a smoother surface that helped the team fine-tune their car’s performance.
Mercedes’ Technical Director, James Allison, discussed the team’s efforts to transform their car into what he described as a ‘driver’s friend.’ He mentioned that upcoming new parts are intended to further ‘bully’ the car into optimal performance. ‘The changes we have made are making this car a better car and that will be true at every circuit we go to,’ Allison explained. He admitted that while Montreal’s characteristics made the car appear faster, tougher tracks like Barcelona will prove more challenging.
One of the main issues Mercedes has faced with their cars under F1’s ground effect regulations is a narrow operating window for optimum performance. However, Allison believes the team has made significant strides in broadening this window. ‘There is a much hotter track [in Barcelona], and so that will be quite a stern test of a vehicle,’ he noted.
A notable improvement that contributed to their recent success was a new front wing added to the W15. This more conventional design replaced the initial iteration run earlier in the season. Allison confirmed that the new front wing performed as expected: ‘We had two of them in Montreal, and we expected it to perform well. It delivered more performance, made the car feel easy to drive, well-balanced, and made the car the driver’s friend rather than the thing they had been fighting.’
Allison is optimistic about further enhancements: ‘Our challenge is just to keep those upgrades arriving at a pace that the others cannot keep up with.’ He emphasized that the team’s ultimate goal is to ensure the car performs well across all track conditions, not just the ones like Montreal. With ongoing efforts and upgrades, Mercedes aims to extend their recent form to future races.
Mercedes’ strategy moving forward involves relentless improvements and upgrades to stay ahead of their competitors. If they can maintain the momentum from Montreal, the team believes they can dominate the F1 circuit by making their car not just competitive but consistently a driver’s best ally.
Source: Motorsport
