Toto Wolff has overtly acknowledged that Mercedes is grappling with a “basic” problem regarding the W15 mannequin, a difficulty they’re presently unable to decipher.
In his evaluation, Wolff identified that Mercedes is contending with a big downside within the design of their 2024 F1 automobile, the W15, and at current, they’re unable to completely comprehend its nature.
The frustration for Mercedes continued on the second spherical of the season held in Saudi Arabia, the place each George Russell and Lewis Hamilton may solely handle sixth and ninth positions respectively.
Following the race, Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, expressed his frustration by indicating that Mercedes nonetheless must implement “huge adjustments” to the W15. This automobile underwent substantial modifications throughout the winter break.
Hamilton’s discontent was palpable as he remarked that it felt “like I used to be in a unique class”in comparison with their rivals. He significantly lamented the automobile’s incapacity to carry out adequately by way of the high-speed corners of the Jeddah circuit.
“There’s something which we don’t perceive,” Wolff talked about. “We’re fast in all places else just about.
“We all know that now we have a smaller rear wing, we’re compensating what we’re dropping by way of the corners. Nevertheless it’s simply at excessive velocity the place we’re dropping all of the lap time.”I feel that’s a biggie. There’s solely a lot you may tune right here.
“Our simulations level us in a path and that is the sort of set-up vary that we then select, the place you set the suitable rear wing on.
“I feel you’ll achieve a couple of tenths or not if you happen to get the set-up proper or mistaken, however there’s not a large hall of efficiency.
“It’s extra a basic factor, that we imagine that the velocity must be there. We measure the downforce however we don’t discover it in lap time.”
Nonetheless, Wolff maintains his confidence in Mercedes’ potential to swiftly deal with their present predicament.
“It’s been two years that there’s something we have to spot, and that’s the factor to unlock. We have now simply started working,” he additional said.
“It’s not by way of lack of attempting. We’ve pushed so exhausting and we’re going to give it a large, large go now within the subsequent week, with extra knowledge to know.
“We’re going to come again to Melbourne robust. We’re on a mission on this one. And I’m 100% positive that we’re going to unlock that efficiency hole.”
