Mercedes is hitting the rewind button at the Belgian Grand Prix after a frustrating Friday at Spa-Francorchamps.
During Friday’s practice, both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton struggled with their W15, feeling uncomfortable as they finished over a second behind the top times. Despite tinkering with the setup throughout the day, the team couldn’t solve the mystery of why they were losing up to 0.9 seconds on the straights compared to rivals.
The team arrived in Belgium with high hopes, especially after their solid performance at the similar high-speed circuit of Silverstone. However, the disappointing pace immediately sparked discussions about whether the updates introduced for this weekend, particularly the new floor, were responsible for the lackluster results.
After extensive discussions and overnight work, the engineering team could not confirm that the new floor was an improvement. Consequently, Mercedes decided to revert to the previous floor specification for the remainder of the weekend. This decision was further influenced by the anticipated wet weather, which would require drivers to have maximum confidence and increase the risk of accidents, potentially straining spare parts availability.
Mercedes’ engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, had initially expressed optimism about the new floor’s potential benefits. He highlighted the floor as a key development step, mentioning that it was nice to introduce new parts given the constraints of the cost cap. However, the reality of the performance issues forced a reconsideration.
While the team has reverted to the old floor for now, they plan to thoroughly investigate whether Friday’s struggles were directly related to the new floor or other factors before making any long-term decisions. The clock is ticking as they prepare for upcoming races, and ensuring the car’s performance is back on track is paramount.
The Belgian Grand Prix weekend has taken an unexpected turn for Mercedes, with the team reverting to familiar territory. The upcoming races will be crucial in determining whether they can resolve the issues and regain their competitive edge.
