IMAGO / HochZwei
The Australian GP was Mercedes’ lowest point of the 2024 season. Not only did they end the race with 0 points, neither Lewis Hamilton nor George Russell finished the Grand Prix. Questions continue to flood Mercedes about their performance and what they can do to improve, and addressing the same, James Allison pointed out his team’s top priority to churn out better performances on race weekends.
Advertisement
On Mercedes’ official YouTube channel, the team posted a video where Allison spoke about what went wrong, and what they are doing to make things better. The answer to what they have to do in the latter front is simple on paper.
“The thing we’re more focused on is the pace. Because if you get the pace sorted out, the season will be okay.”
Advertisement
Allison claimed that the baseline reliability of the car, the skills of their drivers, and other foundational things don’t as much attention as pace. Hence, should the team work out a way to improve the W-15’s pace, the rest of the season should pan out much better.
However, after the race in Melbourne, the reliability of the car might need more attention from the Mercedes engineers. Lewis Hamilton became an unfortunate victim of a rare DNF by the Silver Arrows, ending a rather miserable weekend for the Briton. Having failed to make it past Q2 a day before, an engine failure meant Hamilton became the first Mercedes driver to DNF in 2024.
Hamilton remains unhappy with Mercedes’ mechanical package, despite complaining about the same for over two years now. The W-15 showed early promise (especially in pre-season), but with time, it was evident that they aren’t progressing. While George Russell has fared slightly better, Hamilton is yet to feel comfortable with the car. Hence, Mercedes need to bring vital upgrade packages to their car if they are looking to bid Hamilton farewell, on a good note.
Lewis Hamilton detailed the biggest disadvantage of Mercedes
Mercedes’ downfall began in 2022 when the ground effect regulations kicked in. While many teams were able to cope with the change well, the Silver Arrows faced immense porpoising issues. To level this out, Hamilton revealed his team had to take around 90 points of downforce out of their car. He claimed that Mercedes had the downforce they wanted but could not utilize it, which is why they ended up losing a huge amount of performance in their car.
Advertisement
Unsurprisingly, downforce stands as a crucial element of winning races in F1. The more planted a car is on the track, the more confident a driver feels at high speed corners and braking points. Furthermore, pushing the car to the limit on straights also becomes easier for them. Hence, the overall lap time increases or reduces drastically, depending upon the downforce of the car.
As for Mercedes, a lack of ideal downforce has left them behind their rivals at the moment. While the Silver Arrows were once top contenders to become world champions, they currently stand as mid-table prospects. Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren have all improved on their car from 2023.
Meanwhile, Mercedes are still stuck figuring out the issues with their car. Hence, the popular belief is that their struggles will continue even in 2025, with 2026 being the first ray of hope for chances of improving for the Brackley-based team.
News
Inside David and Victoria’s purple Robin Hood-themed 1999 wedding with baby Brooklyn and famous thrones
DAVID and Victoria Beckham have been spotted sorting out the last minute preparations for their son Brooklyn’s wedding. It comes two decades after the celebrity couple were…
Victoria Beckham shares sweet family snaps as she prepares for ‘an exciting weekend’ ahead of Brooklyn’s wedding
VICTORIA Beckham has gushed over the family’s “exciting weekend” with a sweet series of snaps as eldest son Brooklyn prepares to get married. The photographer, 23, who…
Brooklyn Beckham surprises fiancée Nicola with tattoo dedicated to her late grandmother
Brooklyn Beckham has touched the heart of his fiancée Nicola Peltz by getting a tattoo tribute to her late grandmother, Gina. The 22-year-old celebrity offspring of David and Victoria…
How Victoria Beckham is coaching Harper, 12, for stardom – A-list pals to designer wardrobe
Victoria Beckham is said to be giving daughter Harper a crash course in how be a successful A-Lister – but it seems talent has nothing to do…
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz’s hand-written note for Selena Gomez as she quits social media
Selena Gomez has given a glimpse inside her friendship with Brooklyn Peltz Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham, sharing a note that she was seemingly left at their home. The actor, 31,…
Brooklyn Beckham drops huge cooking bombshell ahead of first restaurant opening
Brooklyn Beckham has sensationally revealed that he has never been professionally taught how to cook, despite opening his first restaurant in just a few days. According to the…
End of content
No more pages to load