SUMMARY
- Mercedes suffers worst weekend in new season at Australian GP, with W15 flaws and zero points.
- Technical director James Allison identifies patterns in W15 performance, emphasizing heat-related competitiveness loss.
Mercedes faced their most unfortunate race weekend in the new season at the Australian Grand Prix. The W15 displayed unexpected flaws, leading to a dismal performance and zero points. The team acknowledges the need for significant changes going forward. Despite a major overhaul this year, the car keeps showing wild swings in performance, leaving drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell frustrated.
In the latest race at the prestigious Albert Park Circuit, which was deemed to be smoother by Lando Norris, Silver Arrows faced significant challenges. While Hamilton had to retire to the pit in the midst of the race due to a technical issue, young Russell crashed out in the very last lap. This race had a poor impact on their overall performance while questioning their stance in the championship race.
Mercedes’ James Allison identifies crucial flaws in W15
Post the terrible race, technical director James Allison acknowledged the challenging period but emphasized that double DNFs make up for a rare event. While the W15 offers improved handling compared to its predecessor, it has not yet yielded the anticipated performance gains. Mercedes currently lags, failing to secure a podium finish and falling 29 points behind McLaren after the Melbourne race.
In Jeddah, Mercedes configured the W15’s ride height and suspension travel in a manner where the car would gradually lower as it reached a specific speed range and eventually stall. This approach is similar to what Red Bull has been doing for the past three years.
However, the… pic.twitter.com/I5nHG2E0Wk
— F1 News (@octagram_f1) March 27, 2024
As per Allison, “There’s a pattern emerging that on most weekends. We have a moment where we feel good in the car. But then in the sessions that matter, in qualifying and in the race, things get out of hand. If we looked to draw a pattern, probably the most important deduction we can make is that we lose competitiveness when the track is hot when the day is hotter. Therefore, the tire temperatures increase as much as the track temperatures.”
Allison had previously identified this pattern in Saudi Arabia, and the lack of frontrunners widened during Australia’s afternoon qualifying session. Mercedes engineers are actively investigating to find some solid solutions. Whether adjustments to the W15’s setup are sufficient or more substantial modifications are required remains unclear.
As the grid is headed towards the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Alison has hinted towards the urgency to rectify their issues.
F1 analyst predicts financial doom for Silver Arrows
The Brackley-based team faced a nightmare in the first three races of the lengthy 2024 season. At the Jeddah race, Hamilton was overpowered by the F2 replacement of Carlos Sainz, the 18-year-old Oliver Bearman. The double retirement at Melbourne, on top of recent performance woes, has F1 analyst Jeppe Olsen worried about a domino effect for the Silver Arrows’ partnerships.
Hearing that several current Mercedes partners are “shopping around” as a result of the relatively lacklustre results in recent seasons, and losing their most marketable asset, Lewis Hamilton, to Ferrari in 2025.
I expect that as we enter the latter half of the season, we’ll…
— Jeppe H. Olesen (@jeppe_olesen) March 27, 2024
Olsen fears financial trouble could be next on Mercedes’ list of issues. A lack of podium finishes and dwindling marketability could lead to sponsors jumping ship. A few might downgrade their deals, meaning less finances for Mercedes. As a matter of fact is that their star driver, Lewis Hamilton brought in a wide range of sponsors for the team.
With his move to Ferrari in the upcoming season, Mercedes might lose out on a few sponsors for the very same reason. Without results, investment dries up. If Silver Arrows wants to return to championship glory, they need to find a way to turn things around and do it as soon as possible. The team is under intense pressure to outperform the rest at Suzuka to redeem themselves.