Mercedes is embracing the last few races of the 2024 Formula 1 season as testing grounds, aiming to resolve critical issues with its W15 car and get ahead of the curve on the 2025 model. Following a season filled with frustrating lows and unexpected setbacks, especially in low-speed corner performance, the Silver Arrows are pushing forward with an aggressive experimentation approach.
Despite an upgrade package in Austin that failed to solve the core issues, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin remains optimistic. The package, he explains, wasn’t aimed at fixing the team’s slow-corner struggles. “Where we tend to be weak is in the slow-speed corners,” Shovlin said. “There’s a lot of turning of the car, and that is a weakness we need to work on. We are very busy with that right now, and hopefully making the right changes over the winter.”
The downturn has seen Mercedes slip to fourth in the Constructors’ standings, the team’s lowest since 2012. Shovlin admits that the team has shifted its focus to future performance, using the season’s final races to lay the groundwork for next year. “The big focus is learning what we need this year to apply to next year and get on top of those issues,” he said.
Shovlin notes that the diverse characteristics of the final circuits will be invaluable in evaluating changes. Las Vegas will emphasize straight-line speed and low-speed corners, while Qatar will test the car’s pace on a fast, sweeping circuit, and Abu Dhabi will offer a balanced mix. These remaining tracks, he says, will provide crucial data on the W15’s performance across varying conditions and inform Mercedes’ off-season tweaks.
The shift from competing for wins to strategically analyzing car weaknesses underscores how Mercedes is taking every opportunity to prepare for a comeback. As the team looks to end the season strong, all eyes will be on whether these experiments pay dividends for the 2025 campaign.
