Mercedes have revealed their focus for the remainder of the 2024 season is gaining understanding of their slow-corner weakness to ensure it doesn’t remain on next year’s challenger.
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have largely struggled since the summer break, with the former claiming the team’s only podium in the last seven races.
A lack of performance has persisted despite the introduction of significant upgrades to the W15 – most recently at October’s United States Grand Prix in Austin.
Speaking in the team’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix race debrief, trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said: “Where we tend to be weak, it is in the slow speed corners, particularly the ones where you have got one corner following into another. There is a lot of turning of the car, and that is a weakness that we need to work on.
“We did not expect this update kit to improve that. All we expected was this to just lift the base performance of the car. In terms of what we have seen, we are confident it is doing what was expected.
“However, we are also confident there are some fundamentals that we have got to get to grips with on this car in order to fix them on the W16, and we are very busy with that right now, and hopefully making the right changes over the winter so that we are not struggling with these weaknesses next year.”
Mercedes’ lack of form since the summer break has seen them left in no man’s land in the Constructors’ Championship, with the title-contending trio of McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull well clear, and Aston Martin too far back to threaten their fourth place.
Usually, the prize money available from the constructors’ contest would keep teams fully focused on performance until the end of the season, but Mercedes’ rare position of certainty with three rounds to go – and even earlier – has given them a chance to look ahead.
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Lewis Hamilton was left frustrated after finishing 10th in his Mercedes at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Shovlin said: “The main thing in terms of learning is that the corners that we are weak in are still the same ones. It is the interconnected, slow corners. That is normally where we trip up.
“The big focus in these remaining races for us is learning what we can. We are in a position in the championship where we cannot challenge in front of us. It is very unlikely we are going to see any challenge from behind.
“Our focus has very much shifted to learning what we need to this year to apply to next year in order to get on top of those issues.”
Shovlin says the variety of remaining circuits is particularly helpful to Mercedes, with Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi all providing different challenges.
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Lewis Hamilton struggled in the rain around Interlagos, qualifying only 16th for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
“We are going to be looking at all the remaining tracks to assess performance and just confirm what we understand about this car and whether the changes we are hoping to make for next year are going to improve those areas,” Shovlin added.
“Vegas has a lot of straight line and low-speed corners. Qatar is a faster track. And then, finishing in Abu Dhabi, which is a mix of everything, it will give us a good read on how we are performing and who is the benchmark.
“Sometimes it is Red Bull, sometimes McLaren, sometimes Ferrari, but it will allow us to establish the gap that we need to close down over those winter months.”
Russell: Car more inconsistent than ever
Speaking ahead of what turned out to be a relatively encouraging display from him at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Russell described the W15 as the “most inconsistent” car he had driven during his three seasons with the team.
Russell joined a team that had claimed eight successive Constructors’ titles, but their struggles following the introduction of new design regulation at the start of 2022 has seen the Brit claim just two grand prix victories.
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Mercedes driver George Russell had a massive crash into the barriers during second practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
“I think in 2022, in the sort of porpoising era, without doubt that was far more unpleasant,” Russell said.
“But because of the nature of those cars, it was far harder to get close to the limit because you were literally jumping around every single corner, and you knew that it was going to bite you.
“The problem we’ve got with this car at the moment is you think it’s not going to bite you, and you can achieve a really great lap.
“Then, suddenly nothing changes, or you feel nothing changes, and the following lap you lose all of that performance.
“Without a doubt this is probably the most inconsistent our performance has been as a team in probably forever.”
Formula 1 returns with the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22-24, live on Sky Sports F1 where Max Verstappen could seal the championship. Get Sky Sports F1 to watch every race and more live