(Motorsports news) Mercedes has been searching for ways to move the German automaker’s 2023 car closer to the front of the grid after realizing it had chosen the wrong strategy and had been overly cautious with its ride height aim. While adding additional downforce might be beneficial, the W14’s technical director James Allison claims that a special effort has been made to try to enhance the car’s balance and handling. 

He claims that the current challenger’s through-corner characteristics are far from optimal for giving its drivers the assurance they require. Regarding the upcoming enhancements, he said on the Mercedes website, “Bread and butter downforce is always a good thing. We’re also working to make the car’s initial turn-in reassuring for the drivers. It appears overly reactive”.  

The opposite issue arises when they reach the apex because we expect the front to bite but it doesn’t. When you first turn the wheel, it’s unsteady, and when they reach the apex, it goes frustratingly lifeless. The reverse is what we like. That is what we are attempting. Toto Wolff, the head of Mercedes, believed that if the team was successful in giving Lewis Hamilton and George Russell a car they felt more at ease with, a lot of potential might be opened up.

When it comes to balance and emotion, “we need to give the drivers a more reliable car and platform,” he stated. It’s important for them to know that the car will be stable as they turn into a corner, not just that there should be a lot of downforce. Currently, it is not the case.  It is a top priority for us since it will boost drivers’ confidence, which will lead to improved performance. 

Allison believes that whatever enhancements Mercedes discovers back at the factory may still be applied to the current challenger despite the fact that Mercedes is starting to devote more and more resources into its 2024 vehicle. 

According to him, the wind tunnel is currently largely focused on 2024. The fabrication of long-lead time production items, vehicle dynamics, and significant portions of the drawing office are beginning to collect their skirts.

“The majority of calls are answered in next year’s Mercedes automobile starting after the summer vacation. However, it also presents opportunities for the W14. Although finishing the year as Red Bull’s runner-up is something the team is eager to do, its ultimate goal still remains getting back into the running for the world championship, according to Allison. When he looked at his competitors at the beginning of the year, he stated, “We were fourth-quickest, and that was frustrating.” Ferrari was also outperforming us.  

“Mercedes is progressively leaving them behind us, bit by little. Every aspect of it is involved. From planning to engineering, dependability, production, and the drivers who have a metronomic capacity to convert possibilities into points from half-chance situations. “Securing P2 is important for all of us, even though it falls short of our initial goals. especially when the emphasis shifts to the W15 in the second part of the season.

Also read: Mercedes believes it has finally discovered the ideal riding height for the 2024 F1 car