Mercedes F1 News: Lewis Hamilton to run 'failed' upgrades at Dutch GP

Thumbnail for article regarding Hamilton on Friday in Belgium — Photo: © IMAGO

Mercedes

Hamilton to run 'failed' Mercedes upgrades at Dutch Grand Prix

Are Mercedes chasing a lost cause or pursuing perfection?

Jay Winter

Saturday 3 August 2024 06:00

Mercedes has revealed that the updates they brought to the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, including a modified diffuser and a revised underfloor for the W15, will be given another opportunity to prove their worth.

Despite failing to improve the car in Belgian and not being used in the race, these updates are set to be tested again, as explained by Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes' trackside engineering director.

Article continues under video

Mercedes faced unexpected issues during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. According to Shovlin, the problems were primarily related to the car's setup rather than the updates themselves.

"We encountered some issues that we believe were mainly due to the setup and not the updates," Shovlin stated in a Mercedes video update.

Initial Spa setback

Hamilton faced bouncing issues during free practice in Belgium

"We gave the drivers a car that tended to bounce in fast corners, which is not good for their confidence," Shovlin explained.

Additionally, the car struggled with stability on corner entry, making it challenging to brake late and carry speed through the turns.

Decision to revert to previous specification

Mercedes opted to run without the upgrades for the race

Given these challenges, Mercedes decided to revert to the previous W15 specification used at Silverstone, where they had a successful race.

"Spa and Silverstone are quite similar in terms of corner speeds," Shovlin noted.

The team made the switch on Friday evening, and by Saturday, the cars of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were back to performing as expected.

"It was the right decision to revert to a known specification," Shovlin confirmed, a point underscored by their initial 1-2 finish on Sunday before Russell was disqualified.

Plans for Zandvoort Grand Prix

Russell and Hamilton will be looking to continue Mercedes' form

Despite the setbacks at Spa, Mercedes is confident in the potential of their updates. The team has been investigating the issues and believes they have identified the root causes.

"We have been working on understanding exactly what went wrong," Shovlin said.

"We are quite confident that we can reintroduce the Spa update at Zandvoort."

Mercedes' decision to give the unused Spa updates another chance demonstrates their commitment to continuous improvement, however, Silver Arrow fans will have justified concern after witnessing their team chase an unsuccessful side-podless aero design for too long.

As the team prepares for the next race, all eyes will be on whether these adjustments can enhance their performance and keep them competitive on the grid.

Red Bull Mercedes Audi Belgian Grand Prix Jonathan Wheatley Andrew Shovlin