Mercedes admit fresh... over Lewis Hamilton and George Russell's...

Mercedes admit fresh… over Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s… Read More

Mercedes are facing uncertainty over the performance of their new car floors following a disappointing showing at the Dutch Grand Prix. The team, which had performed well at the previous race in Belgium, struggled to maintain pace at Zandvoort, raising questions about the effectiveness of their latest upgrades.

George Russell qualified in fourth place but fell back during the race, eventually finishing in seventh. Lewis Hamilton, who had a poor qualifying session and started 14th on the grid, managed to recover and finished just behind Russell in eighth. This result was a stark contrast to their performance in Belgium, where the Mercedes cars finished first and second, although Russell was later disqualified.

The poor showing in Zandvoort has left Mercedes’ technical team scratching their heads. James Allison, the team’s technical director, admitted that they are still uncertain whether the new floor design is a genuine upgrade or if it has negatively impacted the car’s balance. In a video debrief from the race weekend, Allison explained that while the new floor delivered the expected downforce, there were still concerns about how it affected the car’s overall performance.

“Simple answer is, we don’t fully know,” Allison said when asked how the new floor had performed. “You can take some straightforward measurements and say that the downforce it was supposed to deliver looked like it was there. So at one level, you could take comfort that it worked as expected.”

However, he emphasized that the issue isn’t just about raw downforce but also how well the car handles through different corners and at varying speeds. Mercedes struggled with balance throughout the weekend, which Allison believes was the primary reason for their lack of pace. He acknowledged that the team needs to remain open-minded about whether the new floor was responsible for the imbalance and that further testing will be required at future races.

“And we definitely know that we didn’t have a well-balanced car this weekend,” Allison continued. “That’s where most of our pace went. Whether that was the new floor, the new aero package or not, we need to keep an open mind and something we will need to revisit in future races.”

Despite the setback, Allison expressed hope that the team can regain form as the European leg of the Formula 1 season draws to a close. Mercedes will be heading to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, a track that presents a unique set of challenges. The circuit has been resurfaced with new tarmac, which, according to Allison, can be a double-edged sword.

“Monza has just been resurfaced, so new tarmac throughout, and with Pirelli electing to bring the softest of the rubber to that track. New tarmac is very grippy, but it also brings with it the risk of graining. That’s when the tyre sticks to the road and tears, physically tears itself to bits if it turns out that the stress is too high in the tyre. So that’ll be a thing to look out for.”

Allison believes that Mercedes should be able to find the right setup for Monza but acknowledges that the real test will come during the race weekend itself. He hopes that with a smooth weekend, the team will be in contention for a podium finish or better. The Italian Grand Prix will provide another opportunity for Mercedes to assess the effectiveness of their latest upgrades and to determine whether their new floor design is truly beneficial.

“I think that we ought to be able to get the car dialed in alright on the set-up,” Allison said. “We’ll go and figure out for sure whether that aero upgrade that we brought to Zandvoort was hampering us or helping us. And with a bit of luck, just a smooth weekend competing, I hope, for a podium or better. But we’ll see what happens when we get there.”

The uncertainty surrounding the new upgrades highlights the challenges Mercedes continues to face this season as they strive to close the gap to Red Bull and other competitors. The team has shown flashes of pace throughout the year but has struggled with consistency, often finding themselves off the mark in key moments. This latest setback is a reminder that, despite their past success, Mercedes is still in a development phase as they seek to return to the front of the grid on a more consistent basis.

As the season progresses, the next few races will be crucial for Mercedes in determining whether they can turn their fortunes around. The team remains committed to finding solutions, but with fierce competition from rivals like Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren, they cannot afford to waste any opportunities.