Mercedes should test improvements in Miami

Since the winter testing, the W13s of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have appeared in bad shape due to porpoising. As a temporary solution, Mercedes had to raise its floor. However, this new height causes a significant loss for the team.

If raising the floor solves the porpoising issue, it also significantly reduces aerodynamic downforce. The pace of the W13s on the track is therefore slower. The team’s engineers are now doing their utmost to solve this puzzle and hope that the planned improvements will be ready for the Miami Grand Prix on May 8th.

Andrew Shovlin, Track Engineering Director at Mercedes, explained the team’s goals. “We know where we stand at the moment, we know the gap that we need to close to get to where we want to be,” said Shovlin, emphasizing that the team is focused on this highly interesting challenge.

« These are new problems for us […]. Day after day, we move forward and learn. With a little bit of luck, in the near future, such as Miami, we will be able to bring in new elements that will indicate whether or not we are heading in the right direction,” he explained. Despite the problems faced since the beginning of the season, Mercedes is still in third place in the constructors’ standings. Russell has 49 points, while his teammate has 28. These valuable points could potentially make a difference at the end of the season