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Mercedes searching for ‘right track’ with Austin floor upgrade
Mercedes has chosen to stick with its ‘zeropod’ concept for this year’s Formula 1 season, but made changes with a revised car introduced at the Monaco Grand Prix in May. Despite this, the team has admitted that it has been limited by the design of its launch-spec car and has yet to win a race. Lewis Hamilton has acknowledged that Mercedes needs to have its “greatest six months of development” ever to catch up to Red Bull, who have dominated the 2023 season. Although Mercedes is currently in second place in the Constructors’ Championship, it has consistently been behind its engine customers. Aston Martin’s momentum has faded, but McLaren has made significant progress with mid-season upgrades, achieving double podium finishes in the last two races. While Mercedes has not made as much progress as its rivals this year, Technical Director James Allison is optimistic that they have identified their weaknesses and are working towards improvement for next year. Allison also revealed that Mercedes will be bringing a modified floor upgrade for the next race in Austin, which will serve as a test to see if they are on the right track, rather than expecting instant performance gains.
Source: Motorsport Week
