At the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton takes control of the Mercedes W15.
Andrew Shovlin has confirmed that Mercedes’ floor upgrade worked as expected at the Miami Grand Prix, but conceded that the W15 car continues to “behave quite differently from session to session.”
Having been restricted to just a single race win since F1’s ground effect rules were introduced in 2022, Mercedes had aimed to return to regular victory contention with the new-look W15 in F1 2024.
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Nevertheless, despite being the eight-time Constructors’ Champions, they have yet to achieve a podium finish in the current season. As of now, they are placed in fourth position in the standings, trailing behind McLaren, who emerged victorious in the Miami GP, by a considerable margin of 60 points.
Arriving in Miami, Florida, Mercedes unveiled their highly anticipated upgrade package for F1 2024. The team showcased a dramatically modified floor, marking their first major improvement of the season.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, despite having the new parts, had difficulty making a significant impact during race day. They finished in sixth and eighth place respectively.
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Shovlin, who appeared on Mercedes’ post-race debrief show, confidently stated that the team has gained a deep understanding of the necessary development path for the W15.
However, he acknowledged that the influence of Mercedes’ upgrades will probably have little effect as long as the car’s performance keeps changing throughout a grand prix weekend.
“We were able to bring approximately half of our update kit to Miami, while the remaining half will be arriving in Imola,” he stated.
“We’re putting in extensive efforts to enhance the future races with new developments.”
“Did it meet our expectations? Absolutely, all indications suggest that it is delivering the desired performance from the floor.”
Currently, the problem lies in the fact that all others are making progress in the development of their vehicles.
“You witnessed McLaren making significant progress as they unveiled a substantial package.”
Furthermore, the challenges faced by drivers in handling the vehicle are hindering the ability to fully appreciate the progress made in terms of performance.
“We often observe that the car’s behavior varies significantly from one session to another. Until we address this issue, we will consistently hinder the advantages we can derive from these updates.”
“After closely observing the recent races, we have gained valuable insights on the necessary adjustments for the car to enhance its maneuverability. Our focus lies in ensuring that it responds precisely to the drivers’ commands, particularly during crucial qualifying laps.”
“We have an exciting series of updates lined up for the upcoming three or four races.”
“We have been putting in a tremendous amount of effort, and it is our hope that we will begin to witness the positive outcomes in the near future.”
Shovlin’s comments come after Russell hinted in Miami that Mercedes have “overcompensated” with the W15 by straying too far away from their F1 2023 car concept.
He clarified, “The truth is that the stopwatch provides an honest assessment, and it appears that some of the adjustments we made since the conclusion of last year may have gone too far in certain areas of our development.”
Our current limitations with the car are completely different from the limitations we had a year ago.
We exerted great effort in resolving the issues and ended up surpassing the necessary extent in that particular direction.
“We are aware of the need for rapid improvement and are committed to making it happen.”
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