Mercedes promises consistent stream of upgrades in next few Formula 1 races
- Rob Fleming
- 21 April 2023
Mercedes have pledged to bring a continuous stream of upgrades to their struggling W14 car over the "next few" races, according to team principal Toto Wolff.
After a disappointing start to the season, Mercedes are promising to bring consistent upgrades in the next few Formula 1 races.
Team principal Toto Wolff, who previously pledged a complete design overhaul of their W14 car, now aims to close the gap to the runaway championship leader Red Bull.
Mercedes' difficult Bahrain race was followed by gradual improvements in Saudi Arabia and Australia, which offered hope that more pace can be extracted from the car. The team now believes that there is a 'clear' design direction for the remainder of the season, with a bigger upgrade package expected at the Emilia-Romagna GP, which takes place after the upcoming Azerbaijan and Miami Grands Prix.
However, in a recent Mercedes Q&A, Wolff announced that they will be bringing upgrades sooner than that, promising a steady stream of developments in the 'next few races'. "We will consistently be bringing upgrades to the car over the next few races, which is something to look forward to," Wolff said.
Although the team is excited about the number of upgrades being brought to the race weekends, Wolff fired a warning to keep expectations "realistic". "There is no such thing as a magic bullet that transforms the car, and it's about being realistic with your expectations. Hopefully we will see a steady improvement," he said.
Despite making few noticeable changes to the team as a result of the slow start, Wolff reiterated his confidence in the organisation, highlighting the performance dips that most top sports teams face at some point. "The mindset is great, the spirit is there and I see a lot of buzz," he added.
"I believe 100 percent in our organisation because our perspective is not always on a single race weekend, not even a single season. It's on trying to build our capability so we are successful over multiple years, while recognising the fact that no sports team has ever won every single season."
The next F1 race will take place on 30 April in Azerbaijan on the Baku City Circuit.
