Mercedes have ‘no choice’ but to turn attentions to F1 2024
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Despite introducing a raft of recent upgrades, Mercedes’ W14 challenger continues to frustrate Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and the team have been unable to significantly cut their deficit to runaway leaders Red Bull.How the fight for 2nd in the F1 Constructors Championship is heating upVideo of How the fight for 2nd in the F1 Constructors Championship is heating upMercedes were outperformed by McLaren at the British Grand Prix, as Lando Norris resisted Hamilton’s late attack to claim second place behind race-winner Max Verstappen, while teammate Oscar Piastri held off Russell. Wolff admitted he expected Mercedes to perform better at Silverstone, a track the German manufacturer has traditionally excelled at. “I thought that Silverstone based on our historic performances was the best shot, but it wasn’t,” Wolff said after Sunday’s British Grand Prix. “So maybe there’s another track where we have the best shot [of winning] because the characteristics of the car have changed. “I always believe that we can beat Max [Verstappen], we have a good group of people, and the best drivers. “We just have to give them a car that is more predictable, and not the Diva 2.0, and much more complicated than the first one.” Related ‘A wake-up call’ or a new reality – Have McLaren moved ahead of Mercedes? Andrea Stella praises “outstanding” Oscar Piastri at Silverstone
Mercedes have failed to build on the initial upswing in performance their major Monaco upgrade provided, while rival teams including McLaren have since made much bigger strides. Wolff claimed that the F1 cost cap and wind tunnel restrictions have prevented Mercedes from bringing “fundamental” changes to their car. “I think we are restricted by the cost cap and by the relative less amount in wind tunnel and CFD time that McLaren was able to have,” he explained. “They finished further back in the championship and they were like fifth or sixth mid year. So they carried over that more wind tunnel time allocation. And that’s why it’s kind of difficult. “Do I believe that we have upgrades in there that are going to fundamentally change the car? I don’t believe so. But we have a few small steps that are to come. “And you can see that if you find the tenth or two or three, it puts you in a different position on the grid.”
Asked at what stage Mercedes will turn their full focus onto next season’s car, Wolff replied: “I think pretty soon. We have no choice. “P2 or P3 fundamentally doesn’t impact me and the team. It’s about coming back and being able to win a world championship in that respect. That’s not going to happen this year. “So we need to set our eyes to next year and then, at all the races to come, learn and develop, and make sure that we can carry that forward into next year. “But, having said that, the regulations are the same. So it’s not that you’re not learning nothing by continuing this car. It’s a balance that we have to strike right.”
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