Change so much to change (almost) nothing. Stopping to read the general classification of the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, one would think that the introduction of the huge package of new features that radically changed the W14s had no effect. Or, at least, not as expected.
However, Monaco is a unique track of its kind and one of the worst for introducing such considerable innovations. Difficult to draw so many lessons from a street circuit of that type and Mercedes know it well.
The W14 Bs were introduced in the Principality to begin data collection which will lead the Brackley team to improve performance over the course of the season and to understand whether this could be the starting point for creating next season’s single-seater.
If there seems to have been few steps forward, at least in terms of lap time, according to Toto Wolff not having had any nasty surprises is a good starting point. Problems with the rear persist, something that already plagued the W14s in previous races, but there is confidence in the German team that things can be improved when racing on permanent tracks.
“I think the worst would have been bad surprises and there weren’t any. The car felt together, which is important. The rear is still a bit annoying, so it’s something we need to remove from the car for the next few races. but we have a new basis and it’s important to say this is what we have now, we’ve taken issues off the table that we weren’t sure about, like front suspension or our bodywork quirkiness, so we work from here. and the work done at the factory to bring the update here to Monaco by our team has really been a great effort.”
Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14, makes a pit stop
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
“The rear problems weren’t related to the update. It was what we tried in qualifying that didn’t make things any easier. We didn’t change the rear aggressiveness of the car. We need to fix it, and we will, but the road is long. Are we capable of winning a race this year? I sincerely hope that we can get back to the lead. There are more variables, even with the other teams, so we just have to aim to win, to push, to race for a world championship”.
Wolff, aware of the impossibility of understanding the potential of the updates in Monaco, is already looking at the next races, but prefers to warn everyone: it is unlikely that the team will really have the right bases to make the W14 make the leap in quality expected at the Grand Prix of Spain. It will still take time, considering the fact that, after Montmelo, there will be another atypical track like Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
“I think Barcelona is not enough. I think we need to collect data, that’s why we also put it here in Monaco, collect further analyzes that we will do in Barcelona, next Montreal is a bit anomalous again and in the next races we hope to be able to really increase the performance of the car, but it won’t be so suddenly. That’s why I’m happy with today’s gap, it’s always been a mediocre track for us, so that’s okay,” concluded the Austrian manager.
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