Mercedes' warm weather woes

SAKHIR, BAHRAIN – APRIL 21: Nico Rosberg of Germany and Mercedes GP locks his brakes and wheels going into a turn during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 21, 2013 in Sakhir, Bahrain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

As demonstrated by Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher last year, Mercedes put in good performances when the weather is on the cooler side. Nico Rosberg won the Chinese Grand Prix last year under cool conditions and Michael put in a solid performance in Monaco under similar conditions. The Mercedes W04 is merely an evolution of the W03 and with it, some weaknesses remain.

This year, Lewis Hamilton, Michael’s replacement, got on the third step of the podium twice in succession. Both these podium finishes, China and Malaysia, came under cool and wet weather conditions. As soon as they moved to Bahrain, it was last year’s story all over again. Their cars degrade tyres rapidly in warm conditions and they provide very less grip within just 7-9 laps after coming on. It’s this problem that cost Nico Rosberg, who grabbed pole in Bahrain, a podium finish.

Lewis, on the other hand, had a decent race. He started in 9th place (due to a gearbox penalty) and finished the race in 5th. However, he struggled in the opening laps of the race and found himself in 12th place at the end of lap 1. Both of them struggled as the track temperature at the beginning of the race was the hottest they’d experienced this season. As time went by and with the temperature getting cooler, they began to find that pace that they had over the past couple of races.

Team Principal, Ross Brawn, acknowledged the problem and ensured that they will work on it if they plan to stay competitive throughout the season.

“We struggled badly in the early part of the race when the track temperatures were at their highest,” he explained. “This is an issue we have to address and we will continue working on solutions to improve our performance in this area.

“In the second half of the race, as the track temperatures cooled somewhat, our pace was not bad – particularly with Lewis.

“However we must make it a priority to cope better with elevated temperatures: the tyres are the same for everybody and we are not performing as well as our competitors in these conditions,” he concluded.

They now head to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix and some Mediterranean weather.