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“We do expect to be closer to Red Bull next week”: Mercedes trackside engineer agrees with Max Verstappen’s prediction ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"We do expect to be closer to Red Bull next week": Mercedes trackside engineer agrees with Max Verstappen's prediction ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix

Andrew Shovlin expects Mercedes to be a lot closer to Red Bull in terms of performance at the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend. 

Before last week’s race in Mexico City, a lot of people predicted a Red Bull dominance on show. The Milton-Keynes based team lived up to expectations, earning a double podium at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez. F1 fans are now anticipating another Red Bull masterclass at next week’s race in Interlagos.

Max Verstappen on the other, seems to disagree. After his win in Mexico, the Dutchman said that the track suited their car on all aspects. However, he expects the Silver Arrows to be much closer to them in Brazil.

Mercedes’ trackside engineering director Shovlin agrees with the 24 year old.

“Yeah, there are reasons why we would expect it to be closer. “The thing is, what we like to spend our time doing is worrying about things that might go wrong and catch us out.” he said.

Also read: “I do not believe in momentum”: Max Verstappen keeps his feet on the ground despite having a strong advantage over Lewis Hamilton in the battle for the Championship

The remaining tracks suit Mercedes more, says Shovlin

The British engineering chief feels that his team are not holding any kind of disadvantage. He mentioned that just a few weeks ago, their car was absolutely dominant in both Russia and Turkey.

“It may well be it is closer but it is so unpredictable at the moment. You look at qualifying, and a single lap can be more variable than the race pace. “But we don’t need to go back far and we clearly had the race-dominant car through the weekend in Turkey, I think in Sochi as well.” he added.

“Within the remaining four circuits there will be those that suit us as well so we will keep trying everything we can to win the championships.”

Also read: “They’re just too quick” – Lewis Hamilton concerned about Red Bull’s speed on track ahead of Sao Paulo GP

Weather conditions to play a major role in Brazil

Shovlin thinks that weather will have a big role to play in Brazil.

He feels that overcast or wet conditions would suit his team more compared to Red Bull. On the other hand, sunny and warm conditions may give their rivals an upper hand.

“You can have a 50-degree track one day and a washout the next. If it is a hot circuit, that is probably going to move it in their direction. A bit of cloud cover may well suit us.” said Shovlin.

“But making predictions over whether you are going to be fast or slow is quite meaningless, it is more about knowing the jobs you need to focus on and do a good job.”

Mercedes are currently just 1 point ahead of Red Bull in the Constructor’s standings. The Brazilian GP will be followed by races in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Somin Bhattacharjee is an F1 editor at The SportsRush and has written more than 2000 articles. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and considers sports to be a part of his life. Somin has been a fan of Scuderia Ferrari since 2010 and his favorite driver is none another than the legendary Fernando Alonso. Other than longing for a Ferrari Championship win once again, Somin spends his free time playing football and basketball.

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