Given the slow nature of the Monaco circuit, Mercedes brought some track-specific upgrades. Those included some tweaks to the floor and some to the rear wing of the W15. Another upgrade fielded by the Silver Arrows was in the front wing. The design of the front wing wasn’t a track-specific upgrade, but it proved to be worth it.
Unfortunately, the team failed to produce two front wings and had to fit the only available part on George Russell’s car. Resultantly, the young Brit qualified and finished the race ahead of reigning champion Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton, at a clear disadvantage, finished in P7, right behind the Dutchman.
Building on the positive path they have taken, the Brackley engineers are ready to bring some more upgrades for the upcoming race in Canada. However, none of these upgrades aim to make any major changes to the car.
Given the fast-paced nature of the Montreal circuit, the W15 will feature a trimmed-down version of the rear wing. That would be starkly different from the setting Mercedes brought in Monaco.
AUTO MOTOR UND SPORT [UPGRADES for CANADIAN GP in PREVIEW]
For Montreal, we can expect minor updates to the cars. Despite the two-week break after Monaco and also two weeks apart from the next Grand Prix in Barcelona, it’s tempting to bolt on new parts.
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) June 6, 2024
The engineering team has shifted its philosophy as well. Given the similar nature of the tracks at the couple of upcoming Grands Prix, it would have been tempting to introduce an upgrade package. However, their target is to play the long game with smaller upgrades wherever necessary.
As per Auto Motor und Sport, the approach has Toto Wolff’s assent. The Mercedes team principal is reportedly glad with the recent uptick in performance which came as a result of the same philosophy. Incorporating the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach, the Austrian manager is happy to make smaller yet steady steps in progress.
Why Mercedes is more concerned about Barcelona than Canada
Ferrari brought a major iteration of upgrades at Imola, which gave them a race-winning advantage at the Monaco GP. Before the Maranello team, McLaren introduced their first major upgrade package in Miami.
The papaya team saw instant results in the American race as Lando Norris registered his maiden F1 win. Neither team is making any major updates to their cars in Montreal. And Red Bull is not either.
Mercedes, however, is still looking to gather more data on the little upgrades it made in Monaco. The narrow circuit is never the best for giving some crucial data points.
Neither is the Canada track despite being a fast-paced circuit because of its street credential. That has left Mercedes tech boss Andrew Shovlin waiting for the race in Barcelona.
Formula Passion recently quoted him as saying, “We will learn more in Montreal and then especially when we arrive at a track like Barcelona, which has a range of corners with a more varied speed. Certainly have two new front wings on both cars. It’s something we’re working on and will make sure we accomplish.”
