Mercedes’ Struggle: A Battle of Fine Margins
Kosport Magazine – The 2024 Formula 1 season has been a tough one for Mercedes so far. The German manufacturer has yet to finish on the podium and is currently sitting in fourth place in the constructors’ championship, just one point ahead of Aston Martin. But according to driver George Russell, the team’s fate has been determined by small details.
In an interview ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Russell stated, “I think small things make a big difference to the overall result. An extra tenth or two in qualifying and you are four positions higher on the grid. We wouldn’t have made the bold choice of starting on the hard tire in Japan, which, with the information we had at the time, was absolutely the correct decision. The race would have panned out very differently.”
Russell believes that Mercedes’ struggles have been amplified by the specific characteristics of the car, which have been exposed at high-speed circuits like Jeddah, Australia, and Suzuka. However, he sees this weekend’s Chinese GP as a better indicator of the team’s potential, as the track’s profile is more suited to the car’s strengths in medium- and low-speed corners.
“This will be a really good test to see where we fall compared to McLaren as well,” Russell explained. “They seem to be exceptionally strong in high-speed corners and a bit weak in low-speed corners. There is a lot more potential to be shown. I don’t think we have optimized the car and its set-up in the last couple of races. That’s what we’re homing in on.”
Mercedes’ Potential: Lessons Learned from Japan
Kosport Magazine – Despite not bringing any upgrades to Shanghai, Mercedes is carrying forward important set-up lessons from the previous race in Japan. Driver Lewis Hamilton stated, “Nothing has changed with our car, so it’s going to be the same car this weekend. But we understand it a little bit more.”
Hamilton also acknowledged the team’s improvements in Japan and the importance of hindsight and experience in making strategic decisions. He added, “We will try and bring that here this weekend and see if we can implement some of those changes that we would have perhaps done further in Suzuka. Hopefully that can find us a bit of performance.”
With the battle for the championship heating up, every detail counts for Mercedes. As they continue to fine-tune their car and strategy, the team remains determined to bounce back and reclaim their spot at the top of the podium. Stay tuned for more updates from Kosport Magazine.
