Toto Wolff confirms substantial W14 upgrades ahead of Silverstone
Mercedes F1 team boss, Toto Wolff, reveals that the W14 car will undergo major changes prior to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Despite early-season struggles, improved simulation-to-track correlation and unexpected pace are encouraging signs.
Mercedes plotting new course for W14
Months after the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Mercedes has embarked on a significant developmental shift for its W14 Formula 1 car.
This journey took to the track first in Monaco, marking a departure from the car's original concept, which team boss Toto Wolff admitted wouldn't be competitive enough in its initial state.
Silverstone major W14 upgrades
Mercedes' course correction has sparked optimism within the team, particularly after their double podium finish at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Further to that, Wolff stated that the next substantial changes to the W14 are scheduled for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
"We are bringing a larger one to Silverstone, then we should have another one before [the summer] shutdown," confirmed Wolff.
"It’s just that the learnings have accelerated a lot since we changed some of the conceptual architecture. There should be decent steps coming in the next four races."
Surprising pace and improved simulation correlation
In an encouraging development for Mercedes, the pace exhibited over the weekend at Montreal surpassed team expectations, given the track's slow-speed corners that could have proven tricky.
Furthermore, Wolff noted an improvement in the correlation between simulations and on-track performances — an aspect the team has grappled with since 2022.
"I think we are understanding the simulations better," he noted.
"The time is correlating what we are seeing on track and that’s been our problem over the one and a half years."
"We’ve seen good performance gains that are coming in in the tunnel, we are seeing better understanding of what the car needs in order to go fast. So generally, the steps are getting bigger."
Despite the optimism around the W14's development, not everything is rosy in the Mercedes camp.
While the team celebrated Lewis Hamilton's podium finish, George Russell was forced to retire, painting a mixed picture of the Silver Arrows' current state.
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