Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has declared that his team faces a significant challenge to regain their leading position in Formula 1.
The team, headquartered in Brackley, has experienced a challenging pair of seasons following the introduction of new technical regulations in 2022.
During this period, they have managed to secure only one Grand Prix victory, despite their previous consistent success in the championship.
The unveiling of the W15 car took place on Wednesday, with plans for its initial on-track appearance during a shakedown at Silverstone.
Looking forward to his team’s upcoming season, Wolff expressed, “I am excited that we’re about to go racing again and, of course, curious and excited to see how the car will perform.”
“I think we will get an early indication of whether we have solved some of the inherent problems that we had on the chassis side last year.
“We have a mountain to climb to get to the front of the field, but we are focused on doing so.”
Mercedes clinched the second position in the Constructors’ Championship last year, narrowly edging out Ferrari for the runner-up position.
Throughout the season, they encountered formidable challenges from several teams, notably Aston Martin and McLaren.
In the pursuit of competitiveness, Wolff emphasized the team’s ambition to bridge the distance to Red Bull, which led a commanding season last year.
“Formula 1 is a constant relative competition against the other teams,” he said.
“You can have a great car, but if you’re running around in circles alone, you will never know if it’s the best.
“We were in a tough fight last season with Ferrari and McLaren, at times Aston Martin, with a big gap between Red Bull and the rest.
“I would hope we are in the chasing pack at the beginning of the season and hopefully a step closer to Red Bull.”
