While Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff remains very cautious and doesn’t want to give in to too much optimism, simulator driver Anthony Davidson told him that the W15 “finally looks like a real F1,” unlike the W13 and W14 from 2022 and 2023.
Mercedes has had two difficult seasons since the Formula 1 rule book was rewritten in 2022 to introduce ground effect. The once-dominant Silver Arrows have struggled to match the level of Ferrari and Red Bull since then.
2023 was a particularly bitter pill to swallow as Mercedes finished the year without a victory, the first time since 2011, but they are hopeful that an entirely new W15 will put them back in the title fight as early as 2024. The early signs are promising.
“Anthony was driving the W15 in Melbourne in the simulator. Coming out, he was smiling and told me, ‘This F1 looks like an F1 for the first time in two years…’”
Wolff is not getting carried away yet, with the memories of the tough campaigns of 2023 and 2022 still too fresh for that.
“Obviously, I would love for this to correlate with the track, but we have seen over the last two years that this was not always the case.”
“We are, in any case, pleased with our technical restructuring, the return of the ‘mega’ James Allison at the helm as Technical Director.”
“I think this regulation, as it was written a few years ago, we interpreted it too conservatively. And we’ve seen other teams do differently. So watch us, it’s going to be very different.”
Read also: MERCEDES F1 SETS W15 REVEAL DATE
What won’t change is the driver duo.
“Lewis and George meet all our expectations. George is our future. And you know, when I look at all the young drivers among the current Formula 1 drivers, he’s the one I would want in a car.”
“As for Lewis, he can still win that elusive eighth world title and he’s not going to stop to catch his breath. Will he get there? The answer is a resounding YES, in capital letters.”
“There’s a reason why Lewis is a seven-time world champion and has broken all the records… his abilities are on a different level. If we are able to give him a car that he really feels, that drives in a way that he can trust, he will be at the level needed to win the championship. 39 is not an age to retire.”
The next major regulation change will not occur until 2026. And it might be that Hamilton, like Wolff, will need to sign another contract if he wants that eighth title. But Wolff doesn’t rule out succeeding earlier. 2024 and 2025 will not be transition years, far from it!
“Always believe that it’s possible,” he says about the possibility for Mercedes to win this year.
“You can’t start the season with an attitude of ‘This isn’t going to be possible’. We saw last year with McLaren, what a big step they made with just one improvement. We’ve signed a two-year contract with Lewis, and we owe it to him, to George, and to the entire team to give it our all in 2024 and 2025. I think it’s possible.”
Mercedes W15 2024 Comeback F1. Mercedes W15 2024 Comeback F1.
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