The Mercedes W15 is well advanced, Allison is hoping for the title

Mercedes F1 has faced many and persistent problems with its last two W13 and W14 since Formula 1 entered the current framework of ground effect regulations in 2022. The W13’s original design concept was wrong, as he found out too late – and after deciding to keep it for 2023.

Although the Brackley team has undergone a radical redesign of the W14 since the Monaco GP last May, they went winless in the sport this year for the first time in 11 years. Even last year’s W13 had won at least one race, the Brazilian GP with George Russell. All of this came two years after Mercedes’ eight consecutive constructors’ titles from 2014 to 2021.

Mercedes F1’s only goal in 2024 is to return to the Formula 1 championship and offer Lewis Hamilton the car that will help him win his record eighth title in the sport, or George Russell his first.

And Allison was optimistic about this when speaking on the Performance People podcast, confirming that significant progress has been made on the 2024 W15: “I hope that we have put in place a work program that will enable us to be competitive again. In my own thoughts, [ο στόχος] It’s always the championships. this is that Formula 1: a drivers’ championship and a manufacturers’ championship.”emphasized the Brit.

“I hope we have done enough to get back within striking distance of both championships. If you look at the long history of Formula 1, the statistics speak against us. The teams are not recovering from the fall from the top they have suffered in as short a time as we have set.

Nevertheless, we have set ourselves a very ambitious program. We have a lot of power in depth here and we have made great progress with the car for next year. Time will tell whether this is enough or not. But that’s what I hope for us, and I know all my colleagues hope the same.”concluded James Allison.

For his part, George Russell said his team needs to improve in other parameters, such as getting the most out of the car – which he said was not achieved in 2023. “It’s been a very, very strange year.said the Englishman, for 2023. “A year in which we were very fast at times but never got the results that I thought we deserved or that were possible.

So we have to try to understand why this happened. In many ways, too many opportunities were missed. But I have the feeling that when everything falls into a flow and everything works, luck is usually on your side. And if you fall behind, you’re usually unlucky. I’m not one of those people who believe in luck, you have to create your own luck. So we just have to get faster and then luck will be on our side.”concluded Russell.