Mercedes chief expects a step BACKWARDS at Canada Grand Prix

Mercedes

Mercedes chief expects a step BACKWARDS in Canada

Mercedes made big inroads on Red Bull in Barcelona, but the team are taking a more cautious approach to the Canadian Grand Prix

Harry Smith

Friday 9 June 2023 19:57

Mercedes' trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin has explained that he expects the team to fall back into the clutches of Ferrari, Aston Martin and Alpine at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The Silver Arrows took a major step forward relative to their rivals in Barcelona, hitting back with a double podium thanks to the efforts of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

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However, Mercedes aren't out of the woods yet. Barcelona has typically been a specialist track for the team in recent seasons, and the characteristics of the Montreal circuit could swing the pendulum back towards their rivals.

With Aston Martin and Ferrari both struggling in Barcelona, they will look to bounce back when the drivers hit the track on Canadian soil.

Mercedes cautious for Canada

“We’ve been better at the faster, the front-limited tracks, so we ended up with a really good balance, really good race pace," Shovlin explained when asked about Mercedes' pace in Barcelona.

Shovlin was, however, cautious in his predictions for the team's performance in Canada next weekend.

“Where we’re gonna go next week, Montreal, it’s a very different circuit.