Lewis Hamilton will soon learn whether or not Mercedes are “on the right path” to fight Red Bull in 2024 with the team scheduled to bring a new floor update to the United States Grand Prix in Austin next time out.
The seven-time world champion had a weekend to forget in Qatar, tangling with team-mate George Russell on the opening lap of the race as he threw away valuable points in his fight with Lewis Hamilton for P2 in the Drivers’ Championship.
However, if 2022’s United States GP is a good reference point, Austin will be more favourable to Mercedes and Hamilton. The 38-year-old came within a few laps of claiming his only victory of the season on the alternate strategy before Max Verstappen made his way through to the lead.
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Speaking to Formu1a.uno, Allison said: “We will have a modified surface, but don’t expect important things. It will give us a bit of lap time, but above all, it will help us understand if we are on the right path.
“In Suzuka, there were some things we liked about our car and others not so much. In Singapore, there was everything we liked and nothing we didn’t like. Qatar is a bit of a middle-ground.”
Allison also confirmed that Mercedes are working hard to solve their porpoising issues. “We would like to get rid of it completely,” he continued. “We are all still dealing with a bit of bouncing, and this can also vary based on the wind or whether there is a wake or not.
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“These cars are different from the previous ones, but in the end, the setup work is the same. The surface is more important, but then we always talk about ground clearance, stiffness, air vents and blah blah blah.”
With Red Bull boasting such a considerable advantage over Mercedes heading into the final few races of the season, it is critical that the Silver Arrows make every upgrade count if they are to claw back lap time and give Hamilton the car he needs to fight for an eighth World Championship.
Mercedes’ authority figures have regularly reiterated that they have learned from their development blunders with the W13 and W14 and have committed to a new design trajectory as the W15 begins to take shape behind the scenes.
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