SUMMARY
- Toto Wolff commits to ongoing experimentation alongside Lewis Hamilton, aiming to improve Mercedes' performance.
- Wolff emphasizes the need for continuous testing to unlock the potential of the W15, acknowledging performance fluctuations.
Despite facing a dismal start to the season, Toto Wolff remains committed to experimenting in every race alongside Lewis Hamilton for the Mercedes Formula 1 team. Silver Arrows has embarked on crafting a brand-new car following two challenging seasons during the ground effect era from 2022. The team principal stressed on the fact that their race start is up to the mark while wandering off in the later stages.
However, the true assessment of Mercedes’ position in the field will only emerge as the season goes forward. While the first three races of the extensive 2024 season have concluded, their 2024 challenger, the W15 is lagging in several aspects. In the latest Australian Grand Prix, the British sensation suffered from a DNF while his teammate, George Russell crashed at the very last lap of the race.
Toto Wolff reveals Mercedes’ ‘experiment’ with W15 and Lewis Hamilton
Acknowledging the need for ongoing experimentation, Wolff admitted that Mercedes will likely explore different strategies in each race to ramp up the potential of the W15. The team has experienced fluctuations in competitiveness during various sessions, with Hamilton particularly vocal about the challenges posed by the car’s inconsistency.
Toto Wolff has been asked if we’re likely to see throughout the season on Fridays, particularly for Lewis [Hamilton]. His answer :
“We probably need to experiment every single race not only on Friday” 😐 pic.twitter.com/MTkLfvNfX5— Hamilton Insights (@LH44_insights) March 25, 2024
According to the Austrian team boss, “I think we are coming to a point now that we probably need to experiment every single race. Not only on Friday, because our performance seems to get worse throughout the weekend…We are good on some of the sessions on Saturday, but the more grip we have, the faster it goes, the more we reach the performance ceiling of the car, and our data shows that it’s not the ceiling.”
Wolff further stated, “I haven’t lost that feeling that there is a good car. I think the drivers are super in this whole setup because Lewis is as good as you can be.” He went on to point out the contrast between Mercedes and Ferrari in accordance to the recent developments. In Melbourne last week, while both Silver Arrows drivers failed to secure points, Ferrari nabbed the P1 and P2 spots.
Hamilton dismisses W15 as not the ‘evil sister’ of previous models
The 39-year-old driver refutes the notion that their 2024 challenger is akin to the “evil sister” of its predecessors. Mercedes has faced difficulties while securing only one win in the last two seasons. Originally forecasting that the W14 would not challenge for championships, Hamilton subsequently dubbed the W14 the “evil sister” of the 2022 W13.
#AustralianGP 🇦🇺 | Lewis Hamilton on the W15: “It’s definitely not an evil sister [of the previous cars] or anything like that.”
“I do think we have an amazing car, there’s a lot of potential in it. We just haven’t maximised it – through set-up, through, ultimately mistakes.”… pic.twitter.com/DwkY4ohqfM
— deni (@fiagirly) March 21, 2024
However, with Mercedes opting for a complete overhaul of its car concept for 2024 to address past flaws, there was fresh optimism in the garage. Despite this, Hamilton expressed frustration with an unstable rear end during the Jeddah race, resulting in a P9 finish. Fast forward to the race at Albert Park, the Briton offered clarity on the situation.
Hamilton said, “I think it’s definitely not the evil sister or anything like that. I do think we have an amazing car, there’s a lot of potential in it, and I think we just haven’t maximized it at the moment through setup, through ultimate mistakes, and we’re obviously not happy with the performance of those first couple of races.”
Nonetheless, Hamilton remains hopeful of securing a couple of victories in his final season with Mercedes.