'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mercedes are reportedly postponing the scheduled upgrades to put the W15 on another test during the F1 Australian Grand Prix.
The 2024 season marks Mercedes' worst start in over a decade. Although the W15 was expected to be an improvement of their previous challenger, the car has so far been unpredictable. Not only is it slow in the fast parts of the track, but the drivers also experienced bouncing so far; something that has been affecting the Brackley-based outfit for two years now.
The car appears to need an upgrade, and while some were planned earlier, they might now be postponed, as reported by Formula Uno Analisi Tecnica. This will be done to put the W15 through more testing in Melbourne. The track will provide the team with more data regarding its weaknesses and strengths, which will help Mercedes understand whether their planned upgrades are in the right direction.
During the race at Jeddah, Lewis Hamilton mentioned his disregard with the W15, calling out the McLaren ahead of him. He stated that the car ahead was much faster on the fast parts of the tracks than the car he was driving. He finished the race down at P9.
Mercedes explains their drivers' lack of confidence in the car
The Saudi Arabian GP wasn't the most pleasing one for Mercedes. With both cars getting stuck behind McLarens, the results demoted them in the championship to fourth place. As mentioned before, Lewis Hamilton complained about Lando Norris' pace on some parts of the track.
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes' Trackside Engineering Director, explained that the car's balance was one of the major factors during the race that affected the drivers' confidence while driving.
Speaking during the post-race brief, Shovlin said:
"It’s a few things. One of them was the balance wasn't great," he said at 8:45 in the video from the Mercedes channel.
"So those very fast corners, the walls aren't particularly far away - so the ones [corners] where the driver wants a lot of confidence. And quite often we were snapping to oversteer if they really leant on the tyres," he added.
The team have scored 26 points after the first two races of the 2024 F1 season. With no reported upgrades being brought to Australia, it is hard to assume that their performance will be better than the competitors.
