Mercedes chief explains the new upgrade package which is vital for 2024 car development

Mercedes will be bringing critical upgrades for the W14 for this weekend's race in Austin, Texas. The upgrade package late in the season holds significance as it will help guide the Brackley-based squad into the 2024 season.

After starting the 2023 season on the back foot, Mercedes made a drastic change in development direction mid-season. The sudden change in direction meant the team had to once again sacrifice its campaign to start the 2024 campaign on the right foot.

The new floor to be introduced in Austin will serve the exact purpose as Technical Director James Allison terms the upgrades as the bellwether of its current trend. Ahead of the sprint weekend in Texas, Allison explained about the all-important upgrades. via the-race.com:

"Hopefully it will give us a bit of lap time, always a benefit, but it is mostly a useful thing because it’s a bellwether for whether we’re on the right track. In laptime terms, it will be small. Useful, but don’t expect us to have leaped past Max…”

While Allison is cautiously optimistic about gaining lap time with the upgrades, it will more importantly help set the course for Mercedes for the next couple of seasons.

There are just two years left until the 2026 regulation changes come into effect. And Allison reckons it is extremely important to start the next season with the right concept, to set the tone for the final season under the current regulations in 2025. He said (h/t YardBarker):

"Yes, it’s extremely exciting. And he’s right that it’s a very important phase. Because we all have an eye on the fact that 2026 is coming our way, with major rule changes, where everything starts over again…”

He concluded:

“That means that what you do for 2024 is also relevant for 2025 because a lot of parts have to be taken with you. So it’s hugely important, not just for 2024 but also for 2025.”

Allison added that the engineers back at their base in Brackley have a "pretty clear-sighted view" of what they want to do with the W14's successor.

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Mercedes target podium finish in the United States GP

Both Mercedes drivers floundered their chances of a podium finish at the Qatar GP as a lap 1 collision undid their splendid qualifying efforts. Nonetheless, George Russell's pace was encouraging as he rallied through the field to take home a fourth-place finish.

After an underwhelming weekend in the Middle East, Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin commented on how the Mercedes W14 would stack up at the Circuit of the Americas. He said, via Formula1.com:

"That’s a very different track. It’s an aggressive tarmac, very easy to overheat the tires and probably our worry there is going to be the high-speed performance. That’s where Red Bull and McLaren look particularly strong."

"It does have plenty of low-speed corners and in Qatar, we were very good in the low-speed. It’s difficult to know exactly where we are going to stand out, but our goal is to go there and hopefully be fighting for a podium."

Mercedes currently sits second in the standings 28 points up on Ferrari with five rounds left in the season.