F1 News: Mercedes hint at ‘FUNDAMENTAL’ issues after early season woes

Hamilton and Shovlin in conversation — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Mercedes hint at ‘FUNDAMENTAL’ issues after early season woes

Mercedes engineer shares possible Mercedes issues after tough start to season

Shay Rogers

Tuesday 19 March 2024 11:57

Mercedes engineer Andrew Shovlin has indicated that the team may have a deep issue with the W15 that requires a fix.

The Silver Arrows struggled at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with neither car classified inside the top five after the race.

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They have identified a weakness in high-speed corners which is preventing them from reaching their full setup potential.

But now they are hinting that the issue may be more ‘fundamental’ after leaving Jeddah and heading back to the factory to study the data from the first two races.

Mercedes have struggled with the W15 so far

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is in his final season with them

'Fundamental' issues for Mercedes

Andrew Shovlin has had time to reflect on their performance and believes that their issues may lie deeper within the car’s DNA.

“We can also look at the global performance of the two cars,” he said on the team’s YouTube channel.

“But fundamentally the limitations that we had in qualifying and the race, they were broadly the same for both [drivers].

“So, it’s telling you it’s not a small difference or it’s not a tiny bit of camber or a spring or bar here and there.

“It’s something more fundamental that we need to dig in to and understand.”

They have plenty of time to suggest a few solutions before they land in Australia for the third grand prix of the season in Melbourne.

It appears they may be the fourth fastest team on the grid while they attempt to grapple with their new concept and find a way to maximise its potential.

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Saudi Arabian Grand Prix silver arrows Andrew Shovlin