P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes has conceded the team must understand the reason behind the “uglier behaviour” of its 2024 F1 car appearing when more grip is available on track.
Mercedes has faced challenges in the last two race weekends due to unexpected complications with the upgrade package brought to the United States, resulting in high-speed spins for both drivers in Austin. Lewis Hamilton attributed the issues to the team’s latest developments on the W15 and questioned the tangible improvements, especially after being out-qualified by George Russell on the old-spec in Mexico. Despite promising pace earlier in both weekends, Mercedes has not been able to challenge its main rivals with either package in the last two rounds. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff acknowledged a correlation between the team’s competitiveness and the track conditions, emphasizing the need to address issues like three-wheeling and instability at high speeds. Hamilton and Russell’s battle on track provided valuable information for the team to analyze and make decisions on package optimizations for future races.
