Once upon a time, for the Mercedes that dominated on the track, Barcelona and the Spanish GP were the home garden, the place where the performance of the single-seater was exalted.
Today is a test bed that will have to measure the full progress of the W15, fresh from an excellent performance in Canada. How real, applicable to every circuit – and very different from Montreal – is the speed shown in the last round? The triptych of upcoming races will be revealing.
Wolff and podium performances
“We continued to make progress in the last few races. It was encouraging to take another step forward in Canada. Recording our best team result, so far, of the season it’s a reward for everyone’s hard work. The Gilles Villeneuve track is, however, a unique circuit. It has a tight typology of turns and cornering speed. With a newly resurfaced surface, it was a bit unusual compared to the circuits traditional”recognizes Toto Wolff. “We know that our competitors will perform better in the next races, therefore we will have to continue to work hard to be constantly fighting for the podium and possibly for victory.”
The Spanish GP will also see Mercedes introduce new developments, with the fund being the main suspect. Feedback from the new front wing, available to both drivers in Canada, has been favourable: a step in the right direction.
“Barcelona will be a good test to see our progress. It features a mix of fast, medium and low corners, a long straight and numerous elevation changes. Tracks containing this wide speed range have been a weak point for us so far this year. This weekend will therefore provide another opportunity to evaluate our progress through the recent updates and we hope to build on the positive momentum from Montreal.”
James Allison, after the podium obtained by Russell in the last race, dotted the “i”. The progress is real, however, beware of getting carried away by enthusiasm.
Allison: Real progress and more to come
“We expected to do well. The circuit and its characteristics meant that we expressed greater performance. The type of track made the car easier to drive, well balanced and ‘friendly’ to the drivers, rather than forcing them into a fight: this was the problematic aspect of the start of the season. We’ve expanded the operational window substantially, I think there’s still more we need to do“, analyzes the technical director.
“We will certainly know Barcelona, which has a wide variety of corner types, is a much hotter track and this will be a testing ground for the car.
The changes we have made have improved the car, it will be like this on every track but in Montreal they probably made us seem faster than we have any right to believe towards the next races. I also know what we have planned to further improve the car. The challenge will be to continue introducing updates at a rapid pace that others won’t be able to keep up with.”
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