Toto Wolff: ” Where Mercedes is Lacking with its W15 F1 car”.

Toto Wolff has acknowledged that Mercedes is grappling with a “fundamental” issue regarding its W15 Formula 1 car.

During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton expressed dissatisfaction with the car’s rear stability in high-speed sections of the track, particularly noting that other cars like the McLaren performed better in those corners at the Jeddah circuit.

George Russell secured a sixth-place finish, while Hamilton trailed behind in ninth. This outcome, coupled with their fifth and seventh-place finishes in Bahrain, leaves Mercedes with 26 points, placing them fourth in the standings. They have failed to apply pressure on the leading Red Bull team as anticipated during preseason.

Despite the overall strength of the car, Wolff believes that Mercedes must address significant issues related to its performance in high-speed corners.

“We have explored various setup options based on our simulations,” Wolff explained to media outlets. “However, the range of adjustments we can make is limited. Correctly configuring the rear wing can yield only a marginal improvement of a few tenths of a second. We are facing a more fundamental challenge with the car’s performance in high-speed corners.”

He continued, “We have been grappling with this issue for the past two years, and it remains elusive to pinpoint. We are committed to resolving this matter and anticipate making significant strides in the coming weeks through extensive data analysis. Our aim is to return stronger in Melbourne.”

Wolff emphasized that Mercedes is fully dedicated to overcoming this hurdle and is confident of unlocking the car’s full potential. He noted that while the car performs well in other areas, its weakness in high-speed corners is apparent, despite efforts to compensate for the loss of downforce with a smaller rear wing.

“In summary, our main challenge lies in our performance deficit in high-speed corners,” Wolff concluded. “We are currently lacking the necessary downforce, even after making adjustments with the rear wing. This issue remains puzzling, as the car demonstrates strong performance elsewhere on the track.”