$135 Million Handicap Not the Reason for Mercedes’ Slump, Claims James Allison

All teams have a $135 million budget cap that they need to adhere to for a season. As a result, all teams have to plan their finances carefully and ensure that they find the right areas to work on to improve their cars. Despite this hindrance, Mercedes technical director James Allison has refused to blame the cost cap as the reason for his side’s recent slump.

When Beyond the Grid host Tom Clarkson asked him about the same in a recent interview, Allison replied, “No, it’s not a budget cap thing“. When asked if Mercedes would have gotten to where they are now faster without a budget cap, the 56-year-old added,

“No, I don’t think so. It was just making sure that you’re not just chasing downforce but you’re also got car handling high up enough in the priorities of what you’re doing“. 

Considering how the Silver Arrows performed at the last race weekend in Canada, they do seem to have figured out the solutions to most of their pressing concerns. George Russell clinched an outstanding pole for the side and finished the race in third.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in the other Mercedes despite starting seventh after a disappointing final run in qualifying. Now that Mercedes again seems to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Allison believes that his side needs to feel embarrassed rather than relieved.

James Allison feels “dumb” as it took so long to fix Mercedes’ issues

During another recent interview, Allison explained that Mercedes did not discover anything special off late that helped them address the pressing concerns of the car. In fact, he believes that his side should have figured out the path ahead way sooner.

“This is more of a ‘Oh god how could we been so dumb’ type moment where you see the path forward and you should have seen it sooner,” explained the 56-year-old. One of the main reasons why the Silver Arrows have witnessed such an improvement in their performance is because of their upgrade to the W15’s front wing.

With many experts attributing Mercedes’ improvement in performance to the front wing, this part also came under immense scrutiny. Red Bull is reportedly the team that has filed an unofficial request for an investigation into the W15’s upgraded front wing.

Since a team as dominant as Red Bull has reportedly taken notice of Mercedes’ upgrades, it is a testament to the kind of improvement the Silver Arrows have made recently. If Mercedes continues on this trajectory, it will not be long before one of their drivers manages to win a race.