Author: Barkha Roy
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed confidence in the performance improvements of the W14 car after the debut of a series of updates at the Monaco Grand Prix. While acknowledging the challenging nature of the Monaco circuit to assess the effectiveness of the upgrades, Wolff believed that the team was heading in the right direction with its development.
The upcoming Spanish Grand Prix has been identified as a crucial event for Mercedes to assess the impact of the new parts and potentially close the gap on the front-runners. Wolff stressed the importance of collecting more data and establishing a new baseline at the Barcelona race, highlighting the need to understand the car’s behavior and optimize its configuration.
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Reflecting on the Monaco race, Wolff admitted that Mercedes benefited from well-timed pit stops during the rain, which propelled them ahead of Ferrari on the track. He acknowledged that the team still had a lot to learn about the car’s performance, due to the significant number of new components incorporated.
Wolff also noted that Mercedes had shown promising performance during practice sessions this season, but their competitiveness seemed to diminish as the grip of the track improved. This learning phase was considered crucial due to the many changes introduced. He pointed out that, historically, Mercedes has excelled in race performance, but has faced challenges in qualifying, making Sundays more positive for the team.
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An amusing incident for fans occurred when Lewis Hamilton’s W14 and Sergio Perez’s Red Bull were lifted above the circuit, revealing the intricacies of the floor design – a vital aspect of the current generation of ground effect cars. Although he found the situation amusing, Wolff jokingly suggested that more people could try to reproduce Mercedes’ floor design, not Red Bull’s. He acknowledged that the team had not yet analyzed the differences between the two designs, but confirmed that they would take a closer look at them in the coming weeks.
Mercedes is currently third in the constructors’ standings and just one point behind Aston Martin, which has 120 points. Red Bull is leading the championship with 249 points.