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Toto Wolff says Mercedes has “no different selection” however to give up to the whims of its ‘diva 2.0’ W14 and change its improvement focus to its 2024 automobile.
Mercedes began its season with an evolution of its 2022 first iteration ground-effects automobile, one which it believed would carry out higher and particularly extra constantly than its troubled predecessor.
However the Brackley squad’s hopes have been dashed as quickly as the primary race in Bahrain, which despatched its engineers again to the drafting board to conceive an improve package deal that will convey the automobile’s aero traits nearer to the designs of its rivals.
A brand new-spec W14 was rolled out at Monaco, and whereas there have been clear enhancements, because the group’s podiums in Spain and in Canada demonstrated, an important lack of consistency stays embedded within the machine’s primary design.
At Silverstone, Mercedes launched a brand new entrance wing however the change had little impression on the group’s relative efficiency, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton solely qualifying P6 and P7.
On race day, a well-timed pitstop throughout a late Security Automotive interval allowed Hamilton to grab the ultimate spot on the rostrum from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri whereas Russell completed fifth.
“General, the automobile was not the place we’ve seen it at Silverstone the final years, a observe the place we now have been actually dominant and robust,” famous Wolff after final Sunday’s race.
“The excessive velocity was not good in any respect in comparison with our direct opponents, and in qualifying, we have been additionally fighting traction on the exits, so total, the automobile stays a handful.”
©Mercedes
Forward of the British Grand Prix, Wolff reckoned that the spherical of racing at Silverstone would symbolize Mercedes’ “greatest shot” at defeating Purple Bull and attaining victory.
However given the W14’s complicated vagaries, the Austrian now believes that one other sort of observe could higher swimsuit Mercedes’ probabilities of successful.
“Perhaps there’s one other observe the place we now have the very best shot as a result of the traits of the automobile have modified,” he defined.
“I’ve all the time believed we are able to beat Max. We have now a superb group of individuals, the very best drivers, and we simply have to offer them a automobile that’s extra predictable and never the diva 2.0 – and way more sophisticated than the primary one.”
Requested when Mercedes will abandon the event of its 2023 automobile and change all its assets to subsequent season, Wolff stated: “I feel fairly quickly. We have now no selection.
“P2, P3 [in the championship], basically doesn’t impression me and the group. It’s about coming again and having the ability to win a world championship, and in that respect, that’s not going to occur this 12 months.
“So we have to set our eyes on to subsequent 12 months, and with all of the races to return, to be taught, develop and be sure that we are able to carry that ahead into subsequent 12 months.
“However having stated that, the rules are the identical so that you’re not studying nothing by persevering with with this automobile. It’s a steadiness that we have to strike proper.”
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The put up Mercedes to give up 'diva 2.0' and focus improvement on 2024 automobile appeared first on F1i.com.
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