Mercedes AMG F1 W15 pilot George Russell showcased a modified design of the front wing during the Monaco Grand Prix, resulting in the team’s second place finish of the season. Despite this progress, Mercedes acknowledges that a true assessment of their recent Formula 1 upgrades will only be possible at the next Spanish Grand Prix. The team has been working hard to recover from a slow start to the season, which prevented them from reaching the podium in the first eight races. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff remains optimistic, believing that the recent developments have narrowed the gap to their competitors and put the team on a positive trajectory. Mercedes engineering director Andrew Shovlin warns that the low-speed nature of the Monaco circuit makes it difficult to accurately evaluate the performance of the upgrades. Although initial data suggests that the modifications have had a positive impact on the car’s drivability, a more comprehensive assessment will be possible on circuits with a wider variety of cornering speeds, such as Barcelona.
Shovlin confirmed that Mercedes will introduce additional components during the upcoming race in Canada, including a modified design of the front wing that Lewis Hamilton chose not to use.
“We are optimistic about building on the recent progress we have made,” he stated. “We are steadily closing the gap to the leaders.
“It has been frustrating to come so close, with George missing out on a better position in qualifying by just a thousandth of a second for the second race in a row. He was only a few hundredths of a second away from securing third place on the grid.
“However, we are determined to keep moving in the right direction. We have some minor upgrades planned.
“Both cars will be equipped with the front wing two, a development we have been working on and are confident in delivering.”
Shovlin emphasized that Mercedes will seek to improve their single-lap speed performance in the next race in Montreal, despite the potential for overtaking at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit.
“The circuit itself has undergone a complete resurgence,” explained the British engineer. “We may encounter similar tire wear issues as in Monaco.”
“The difference in Montreal is that driving slowly is not an option. If you take a cautious approach, you will be overtaken.”
“Although the circuit has several low-speed corners like Monaco, it was promising to see that we had good pace in these corners.”
“However, the key difference in Montreal is the absence of short straights. Instead, there are long and expansive straights.”
“As a result, we will opt for a wing with slightly less downforce to minimize drag and maximize speed on these straights.”
“Ultimately, our focus is on maintaining our strong performance in the corners and using that as a foundation to build upon our recent qualifying results.”
