Mercedes cautiously optimistic about Spanish Grand Prix
After George Russell's podium finish and Lewis Hamilton's fourth place in Canada, Mercedes might be tempted to be over-confident at the Spanish Grand Prix. But the German team foresees more difficulties than in Montreal.
Following their notable performance at the Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes is showing some caution regarding their prospects for the Spanish Grand Prix. James Allison , the team’s technical director, stated that despite the recent improvements made to the W15, the characteristics of the Barcelona circuit and track conditions are not ideal for their car .
« The changes made have improved the car, and this will be true on every circuit we go to. The characteristics of Montreal give it a slightly faster look than what we should naturally have in the next races,” he said on Sky Sports. « In Barcelona, I think it is more likely that we will be competitive, but not leading. Because the next circuits are a slightly tougher test for a car: hot asphalt, wider corner speeds.”
He nevertheless believes that Mercedes will manage to reduce the gap with rival teams. The German team still plans to improve the car, with the goal of maintaining the arrival of these improvements at a pace that others cannot follow.
By doing so, we will push our car forward thanks to the efforts of everyone here in the coming weeks and months, so that the car can have a weekend like in Montreal, or even better, on any circuit in the future.
Toto Wolff’s satisfaction after Montreal
The team director Toto Wolff added that Barcelona will serve as a crucial test to assess recent progress and continue to close the gap with their rivals. Tracks that contain this wide range of speeds have been one of our weaknesses so far this year. Therefore, this weekend will be another opportunity to assess our progress thanks to our recent updates, and we hope to take advantage of the positive momentum from Montreal, he explained.
« We continued to make gradual progress in the last few races. So it was encouraging to take another positive step forward in Canada. To see this translate into our best team result of the season so far is a reward for everyone’s hard work, he stated.
But he remains cautious for the upcoming races, anticipating that their competitors will be more efficient. “We will have to continue working hard to constantly fight for podiums and eventually wins,” he concluded.
