Mercedes without its new floor this weekend in Baku

Mercedes has suffered a sudden brake. In great shape before the summer break, with three wins in the last four races and a status as a team that can once again win races, the machine has since slowed down a bit. Upon the return of Formula 1 to the Netherlands, the German team decided to reintroduce its new floor, which it had not used since the free practice sessions at Spa, in the hope of gaining even more performance.

Nevertheless, the weather conditions made it difficult to read the developments accurately. The team led by Toto Wolff therefore decided to reintroduce these developments the following weekend in Monza, but once again, the results did not follow. After an encouraging qualifying session for both drivers (especially Russell, who was only surpassed by the two McLarens), they unfortunately did not shine in the race.

A new package that does not suit the pilots

At the first corner, Russell was taken aback by Piastri’s braking in front of him, forcing him to take the escape road at the first corner and losing him a few positions. Finally, fifth and seventh at the finish, the two Britons seemed puzzled after a disappointing race. The seven-time world champion explained that there were still some question marks about the new floor and that it still needed to be analyzed to determine whether it contributes to the evolution of the single-seater or not.

We are just trying to understand. There could be a number of things. It could depend on the track, it could be the upgrade. My instinct tells me that it’s probably the evolution, but it’s difficult to see the difference between the two, stated the Briton, frustrated by this new situation.

As a result, according to information provided by Autosport, Mercedes will not introduce its new floor in Spa, which showed promise during the free practice sessions in Belgium but seemed to cause numerous issues with the car, particularly evident in the following two races with this new piece. The Brackley team is trying to determine if this development is indeed the cause of the recent issues and if it ultimately leads to a decrease in the performance of the car.

A new floor that will not be introduced in Baku.

« But we will try this weekend [and] revisit some aspects to see if we can identify it. A lot of work is underway to analyze it, as it gives the team a better direction on the way forward for development, not only for this car, but also for next year », explained Hamilton, future Ferrari driver.

Mercedes is therefore seeking to imitate McLaren, who also decided to postpone the introduction of a new floor, because even though it made the car faster, it led to too many problems and the aerodynamic gains were not high enough to introduce it permanently. The German team even revealed that it is ready to abandon this project altogether if it notices that the car is falling back in the hierarchy, a situation that has occurred in any case in the last two weekends.

Interviewed by Autosport this Thursday in Baku on this situation, Russell seems to be in favor of the decision taken by Mercedes, considering that sometimes, it is necessary to go back in order to move forward. The update was not a significant performance improvement, and sometimes, one must look at things objectively. We introduced a new floor, we lost performance, and that was the main change. We knew the update would not be revolutionary. So, going back to the pre-Spa floor version, if everything was absolutely correct on paper, that’s a small difference.

The Briton emphasizes the fact that even if this decision may seem difficult, the drivers know and adapt much better to the old floor which allowed the team to win the Austrian, Silverstone, and Spa Grand Prix just before the summer break.

« It is sometimes better to stick to what we know. We know what this floor offers. We know exactly where the setting should be, and sometimes, with a new update, it takes a few races to learn and understand. So yes, maybe this instinctive feeling [that Hamilton mentioned] is correct. » With its old car setup, Mercedes could regain its form from a few Grand Prix ago, adding even more excitement to this end of the season where four teams are now vying for victory.