Mercedes F1 aims for a significant upgrade in Austin, as Shovlin highlights strategic planning behind Hamilton’s Baku penalty.
Mercedes F1 Targets Austin Race, Following Singapore, with Significant W15 Evolution. Andrew Shovlin, the team’s track engineering director, outlined Brackley’s expectations.
“We always try to bring performance to each race,” said Shovlin. “But for now, our main focus is to introduce a more significant package in Austin.”
“And we will approach the last six races of the year, and there will be other smaller things, but this is certainly what we are working on at the moment, a more substantial car update for the Austin race.”
In Baku, Lewis Hamilton faced more challenges than George Russell: “After qualifying, Lewis struggled with the car, and George found his settings and balance much better suited to the track at that time.”
“Lewis was then able to meet with his engineers, with Bono [Peter Bonnington, race engineer], to look at what they could do with the settings to try to adapt them to the circuit, to try to help the car turn more easily. These changes were then incorporated into the car for the race.”
“It wasn’t so much that we were putting new parts or experimental parts; it was rather the opportunity between qualifying and the race, which you don’t normally have, to make a significant setting change and then he was able to see how it went over the long term on Sunday.”
Mercedes Deliberately Sacrificed Hamilton’s Race
Qualified seventh, Hamilton took a penalty for an engine part change, and Shovlin explains that doing so in Singapore was too risky, and Mercedes wanted to make this change before Austin: “The situation with Lewis goes back to Melbourne, when we lost a very new power unit due to a failure.”
“We knew for a long time that we would need to try to integrate another power unit into the pool to be able to finish the season without risking a unit failing during a race, which is absolutely not desirable.”
“The question was where we were going to do it. Normally, one would not start from the pit lane from seventh on the grid because there would be a good chance to score points.”
“But one of the factors for us is that we have regressed a bit in terms of performance recently, but we have a good upgrade kit coming in the near future.”
“We hope that this will put us back in a better situation and what we wanted to do was really eliminate the pain of this pit lane start before having a car that, I hope, will be able to fight for podiums on merit again.”
“We are therefore looking forward to the rest of the season and, in the case of Lewis, he should have a good, reliable, and powerful Mercedes engine for the remaining races.”
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Hamilton’s Baku Penalty Sets Stage for Austin Hamilton’s Baku Penalty Sets Stage for Austin
