Lando Norris expressed his disappointment with Mercedes’ performance in Formula 1’s ground-effect aerodynamic era, stating that he was perplexed by their claims of understanding the concept but consistently failing to execute it correctly.
Mercedes, renowned for their dominance with seven World titles and eight Constructors’ championships in eight years, faced a setback in 2021 when Max Verstappen clinched the World title from Lewis Hamilton in the final year before the introduction of new cars.
However, neither Mercedes nor the broader F1 community anticipated that 2021 would mark the end of Mercedes’ contention for the World title.
Struggling to adapt to the new ground-effect aerodynamic regulations, Mercedes encountered challenges ranging from bouncing issues to correlation problems with downforce.
Despite initial optimism after winning a single race in the inaugural year, Mercedes faltered in 2023, prompting them to abandon their zero-pod F1 car concept.
Subsequent adjustments to the car throughout the season proved insufficient, leading to the introduction of an entirely new W15 model for the current year.
Despite these efforts, Mercedes has yet to achieve significant results. The team has failed to secure a podium finish in any Grand Prix, with their only moment of celebration occurring during the Sprint in China.
However, Lewis Hamilton’s early exit in qualifying following the Sprint diminished the significance of this achievement. The underwhelming performance of the W15 has left Mercedes puzzled, as the on-track results do not align with the simulator data.
Even their competitors share in this bewilderment, with Lando Norris expressing his surprise at Mercedes’ struggles given their past dominance. In an interview with the Press Association, Norris remarked, “If you look at how dominant Mercedes have been in the past, you would have expected more from them.
“I did, especially how much over the last few years they have said: ‘Ah, now we have got it’, and they never seem to.
“We have had that, where we have hit another roadblock, so it is tricky. But they were almost more competitive last year than they are now and you just wouldn’t expect that from them. But it shows how complicated this sport can be.”
Ralf Schumacher, a former Formula 1 driver, described it as a “bitter pill” for the Brackley squad.
“It’s definitely not enough, the demands are different, but the question is where the journey is going,” he remarked. “Updates can come again and hopefully something will change.”
“It’s a bitter pill, especially when you see the race speed. When the customer teams drive in front of you, it’s not that pleasant.”
Mercedes plans to introduce an upgrade for the W15 at the upcoming race in Miami.
According to James Allison, the technical director, “The challenge that we face in the coming races is to try and move both the set up of the car and also the pieces that we bring to the car so that [the balance] is improved.
“We’ve got upgrade packages coming to the car but also components that we hope will rectify the underlying balance that is causing us difficulty.”
Currently, Mercedes sits fourth in the Constructors’ Championship with 52 points, trailing McLaren by 44 points and holding a mere 12-point lead over Aston Martin.
