Mercedes has been tackling the issues with their W15 car, but team principal Toto Wolff has cautioned that there may be “setbacks” along the way. The analogy he uses? A duvet that’s just not big enough to cover both the head and the feet at the same time.
This season, Mercedes introduced the heavily revised W15, describing it as a “real race car” that could potentially challenge at the front of the grid. However, the results have been mixed. So far, the team has only achieved one podium finish—Lewis Hamilton’s P2 in the rain-affected Chinese sprint race. Their other Grand Prix results have been less impressive, with the team struggling to make it into the top five.
The inconsistent performance of the W15 has led to driver complaints about a lack of rear stability in fast corners. Hamilton has been vocal, saying they are “miles off” and “in a different category” compared to their rivals. One weekend they struggle with high-speed corners, the next with low-speed ones, as seen in Australia where Hamilton described it as a “real struggle”.
Looking ahead to this weekend’s race in Canada at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the challenges continue. The track features a mix of slow and high-speed corners, from the 60kph Turn 10 hairpin to Turn 12’s 285kph section. Wolff shared with the media, including PlanetF1.com, that the team is working on solving the car’s issues but acknowledged it’s a gradual process: “I don’t think that the duvet is large enough to cover feet and head at this stage. But we’re getting there.”
Wolff mentioned that Montreal is somewhat unique in its layout, and that the team plans to introduce updates not only here but also in Barcelona. These incremental improvements are part of their strategy to chip away at the performance issues, despite potential setbacks.
Technical boss James Allison had previously referred to the duvet analogy, explaining that solving one problem often exposes another. But he expressed optimism last month, stating, “I think we’re gradually getting there. It’s a thing that all of us face and I think we’ve been a little slower than others to address it. But I think that you’ll see over the coming races that will be a thing that increasingly we put to bed.”
Mercedes has already introduced changes such as the new Monaco GP front wing, tested by George Russell and set to be used by Hamilton in Montreal. Wolff believes the team is on the right trajectory: “I think overall the trajectory is going in the right direction. I think we’ve understood where the balance of the car needs to be. We’ve been bringing bits and pieces in order to enhance that.”
According to Wolff, the journey is one of gradual improvements and constant adjustments. “So the thing is that you just got to chip away performance by performance. McLaren did a sensational step last year from one race to the other. They kept adding performance on a concept that functioned. Ferrari has been doing it step by step by step and we did it very well last year. This is where I see ourselves. And that’s something that we have absolutely as an objective in the short term as well.”
As it stands, Mercedes remains fourth in the Constructors’ Championship with 96 points, trailing behind Red Bull’s impressive 276 points.
While Mercedes faces an uphill battle this season with their W15 car, the team remains committed to making steady improvements. With updates planned and a focus on balancing the car’s performance, they hope to overcome the setbacks and become more competitive on the grid.
Source: Planetf1
