The gaps are getting smaller. Red Bull and Max Verstappen will no longer be quite so lonely at the top of Formula 1 in 2024. McLaren and Ferrari have already won one race each this season. Is Mercedes next? Lewis Hamilton is registering the Silver Arrows for at least one podium finish.
“The car is getting better and better,” enthuses the Briton. “I think everyone has taken a step towards Red Bull and that is positive. I am very proud of all the employees in our factory. They work hard, show great perseverance and are super focused. The mood in the team is really good. I hope that we can get closer to Red Bull and fight at the top.”
It shouldn’t be long before Mercedes at least has a podium finish again. This has not been achieved so far this season. The team was last on the podium in Abu Dhabi in 2023. “I think the podium is not far away,” estimates Hamilton. “Both cars have an upgrade this weekend and I’m excited to see how this will feel on the track.”
Things are going better with the W15
Hamilton has already stressed several times this season that he is much happier with the W15 than with its immediate predecessors. “The biggest improvement we have made this year is the driving quality and the ability to lower the car, which other teams have also managed to do,” explains the record world champion.
The stability when entering the corners is also said to be significantly better with this year’s Silver Arrow. “The car is much more predictable than ever before, especially compared to recent years,” praised Hamilton. “This year the car is much more stable, so it can handle the corners better.” However, the Briton still sees room for improvement: “We still have deficits in terms of balance through the corners. Some teams have made really big progress there. So we’re trying to work on that.”
Russell: Did Mercedes get it right this time?
Teammate George Russell also praises the vehicle development at Mercedes. “We have made big changes since we first got the car in 2022,” said the 26-year-old. “We realized that we had gone in the wrong direction. We corrected that and now we see that even small changes can bring big performance.”
In order to maintain the momentum in development, Mercedes has brought minor upgrades to the Canadian GP. In Montreal, Hamilton will also get the new front wing, which Russell was already able to try out on the streets of Monaco. “The front wing in Monaco was quite interesting,” says the young Brit. “It would be good if we had a dry weekend in Canada to understand it better.” However, this wish may not come true. There is a risk of rain showers in Montreal. The entire weather forecast for the Canada weekend can be found here:
Is Mercedes on the right track to catch up with Red Bull this time? Russell doesn’t want to commit himself. There have been too many ups and downs in recent years. Hope and disappointment have been close together. “We don’t know if we’ve really managed it this time,” he says. “All teams are making progress. And that’s the impressive thing about Formula 1.”