P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Twelve months on from Mercedes abandoning its original ground effect Formula 1 car concept, just how much progress has the team actually made and did it go too far with its 2024 car?
Twelve months ago, Mercedes made a major upgrade to its Formula 1 car at the Monaco Grand Prix, moving away from the zero-sidepods concept. Despite efforts to fix old issues, the team is still struggling and falling behind, even losing to its customer teams. Toto Wolff praised McLaren’s impressive turnaround with the same engine, raising questions about Mercedes’ slower progress. The team’s focus on underfloor, brake ducts, and suspension changes has not yet translated into desired race results. Mercedes’ W15 is an improvement, but it remains fourth-best behind Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren, with noticeable race-pace deficits. Lewis Hamilton acknowledged the team’s performance gap at Imola, emphasizing the need for further development not yet seen in wind tunnel tests. Despite progress in absolute terms, Mercedes has slightly regressed relative to its competitors in the current season.
