Following a poor run of form since the start of 2024, Toto Wolff and Mercedes are ready to turn the tide in Miami. Well aware of the challenges that await them, Wolff recently revealed (as updated on X by @fiagirly) that his team will bring the first upgrades to their car in Miami. Wolff then further detailed what he expects from his team in the first American race of the season.
“We will be looking to put in a stronger showing in Miami and optimise the car. We know we need to add more performance and will bring our first small upgrades of the season this weekend,” explained the Austrian.
Wolff then recalled the Chinese GP weekend and claimed that Mercedes did not perform at their best in Shanghai. They made too many set-up changes ahead of the qualifying session in Shanghai, putting them on the back foot. Nonetheless, the Austrian was appreciative of both his drivers, who did well to fetch some points.
Lewis Hamilton suffered more because of his various set-up changes over the weekend. Having secured an impressive P2 finish in the sprint session, he then suffered a major disappointment during the traditional qualifying session later in the day.
The 39-year-old was knocked out in Q1, securing only P18 as his starting position. However, he eventually clawed himself up to a points position with a P9 finish in China. Following the incidents, Mercedes will now bring their first upgrades of the season to Miami, with James Allison reflecting on what they learned from Shanghai.
James Allison points out Mercedes’ learnings from the Chinese GP weekend
James Allison reflected on how a track is the best place to learn things about a car despite having a factory full of workers and a load of computational power. Allison explained his learnings by highlighting the difference between the Shanghai track and the Miami circuit.
While the one in Shanghai is a front-limited track for cars, the Miami track is more rear-limiting. Hence, the team’s first challenge will be to ensure they don’t use the same setups for the cars they used in China in Miami.
The race in the American city will need a very different set-up from the race that took place in Shanghai. Alongside upgrades, Mercedes will also adjust their car for the sprint session in a way that allows them to understand the optimal setup for the main race.
With the upgrades, the Silver Arrows hope to address the underlying balance issues that have been causing them difficulty. In terms of numbers, Mercedes and Allison hope to gain a few hundredths over their opposition.
