Mercedes' Spectacular Comeback: Unveiling the Updates That Revived Their F1 Championship Hopes
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff couldn't hide his enthusiasm as he reflected on the team's 'galactical' pace at Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix. After a rocky start to the season with their revamped W15 car, marred by unpredictability and inconsistency, Mercedes has made significant strides in recent races, culminating in a remarkable performance in Montreal.
George Russell, in particular, showcased the car’s potential by snatching pole position from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. However, the race didn’t go entirely as planned for the drivers. Russell, who initially secured a promising lead, committed several costly mistakes and finished third. Lewis Hamilton, despite delivering an impressive recovery from seventh to fourth, was less than satisfied with his performance.
Wolff, however, focused on the positives. “Finishing third and fourth from where we started is a significant achievement,” Wolff explained in an interview with the Independent. “Yes, there were missed opportunities, and both drivers felt more was up for grabs. However, given our recent races, this is a substantial improvement.”
The spotlight shined brightly on Hamilton during the final practice session (FP3) when he set a blistering pace, finishing over three-tenths clear of his closest competitors. Wolff was particularly impressed with Hamilton's long run, calling it 'stratospheric.' Unfortunately, this pace wasn't replicated when it mattered most in qualifying, with Hamilton ending up seventh, trailing 0.280 seconds behind team-mate Russell.
Ironically, Russell also faced an odd scenario in Q3. Despite switching to new Soft tires, he failed to see any improvement over his earlier run on scrubbed rubber. Wolff acknowledged that Mercedes still has several performance intricacies to iron out. “We had great pace, but we seem to lose some performance towards the end of qualifying,” he noted. “We need to investigate why that happens.”
Recent upgrades have been a crucial factor in Mercedes' improved performance. An updated front wing introduced in Monaco appeared to resolve the balance issues between high and low-speed corners. Wolff hinted that more upgrades are on the horizon, with new parts expected at the next round in Spain. “Since Imola, we’ve taken the right steps,” Wolff said. “We’ve struggled with car parts not performing as expected in the past few years, but now we seem to be heading in the right direction.”
Looking ahead to the Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes is optimistic. “The new parts have brought incremental gains in performance. The factory has put in a tremendous effort, and we're seeing the results on the stopwatch,” Wolff emphasized. “We hope to continue this positive trajectory in Barcelona and beyond.”
With the wheel of momentum finally turning in their favor, Mercedes looks poised to challenge for top honors once more. The upcoming races will be pivotal in determining whether they can maintain this upward trajectory. As circuits that allow for overtaking come into play, fans are in for an exciting few weeks of high-stakes racing.