According to Lewis Hamilton, it’s not necessarily depressing but rather a game of patience.
Although sixth and eighth on the Imola grid is by no means Mercedes’ target, Toto Wolff is convinced Mercedes’ gap to the leaders is “getting smaller” following their latest batch of upgrades.
Mercedes has divided their upgrade package for the W15 car between the Miami Grand Prix and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. They initially installed half of the upgrades in Miami and will introduce the remaining half at Imola this weekend.
‘We see that the lead of others is getting smaller’
However, despite not appearing to be a significant change on the surface, George Russell, who finished in sixth place during qualifying with a gap of less than half a second behind Max Verstappen, enthusiastically praised the modifications.
In response to a question from PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher, he expressed that the car is feeling the best it has all season, particularly on a demanding circuit like this.
“I have confidence that we are heading in the right direction.”
Mercedes’ motorsport boss, Wolff, believes that they have made progress on a weekend when all teams except RB update their 2024 cars.
“The Austrian remarked that by observing the distance between us and our closest competitors, one can witness evident progress.”
“We’ve been expressing our dissatisfaction with being in P6 and P8 for some time now, and unfortunately, we’re noticing that the gaps with the leaders are closing in.”
“At the moment, we must be patient as it takes time. We are aware of upcoming advancements in the pipeline that will enhance the car’s balance.”
Despite our current positions not being satisfactory, we are heading in the correct path. Throughout the race, our main objective will be to make the most of our current resources and strive for a high score.
Mercedes’ Technical Director, James Allison, supported Wolff’s statement that although the grid positions may not be ideal, the team is continuing to make progress.
He expressed his belief that we are slowly making progress. He mentioned that this particular track is relatively easier in terms of cornering speed, as it does not require a high range.
“We all encounter this issue, and I believe we have been slightly behind in dealing with it compared to others. However, I am confident that in the upcoming races, we will make significant progress in resolving it.”
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Lewis Hamilton: I wouldn’t say it’s depressing…
Lewis Hamilton’s assessment was not as positive, despite securing P8 in qualifying with a gap of 0.758s from the leader. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic that Mercedes’ progress in the wind tunnel will eventually yield positive results on the track.
He commented that it’s not necessarily depressing, but more of a test of patience.
“You are simply utilizing what you currently have, maximizing the available tools today, tomorrow, and this weekend. However, it is truly inspiring to witness progress being made in both the factory and the wind tunnel.”
“We are expecting new components, which is always an exhilarating phase of the process. We get to experiment with various options and determine which ones are successful and which ones are not.”
“And given that we have a clear path ahead, along with successful testing on the simulator, you can’t help but eagerly anticipate acquiring those components.”
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