The silverware has already defined its development plans from now until the Hungarian Grand Prix, before the Formula 1 summer break. And they are optimistic.
The silverware has already defined its development plans from now until the Hungarian Grand Prix, before the Formula 1 summer break. And they are optimistic.
Mercedes' performance has improved greatly since the first nine races of the season at Silverstone last weekend, and Lewis Hamilton looked capable of challenging the Ferraris for the win before the safety car in the final third of the race, as he was fastest on the track and had been consistently pulling away from the Ferraris, which even forced the Reds to order Carlos Sainz to give way to Charles Leclerc.
Silverstone's smooth asphalt, like Barcelona's, played to Hamilton and Russell's advantage throughout the weekend, but there are more undulations and higher zebras to contend with in Austria this weekend.
Therefore, the silverware will use Austria to determine how effective their latest version of the W13 can really be, and will bring minor changes to the Red Bull Ring circuit, as well as to Paul Ricard and Hungaroring before the Formula 1 summer break.
The German team is not sure how the Austrian track will work for them, but it will be a good circuit to see how good the updates since Silverstone have been added to the new ones. They will now bring small updates to each race, almost all floor-related and some to the suspension, so the car can reach the right temperature window with the softer tires, something that hasn't happened for many races already.
The idea of the changes is to see how much progress they have made in stopping the phenomenon of aerodynamic and mechanical knocking.
The aerodynamic ticking is pretty much solved, but the mechanical ticking is not, the car still ticks more than the direct rivals - especially that of the Bulls - on any undulations and zebra on the track.
If the car is competitive in Austria, Mercedes thinks it can win races without depending on competitors' problems in the second half of the season. That's without counting Paul Ricard, which is also a very smooth track and before the vacations. There, they are hoping it will be the best track for their cars among all so far.
The changes will be small and practically invisible to the journalists' eyes and cameras. But if all this research and development doesn't leave the car with real potential to win races on its own by the Hungarian Grand Prix, a "plan B" will start to kick in for 2023 just after the Formula 1 summer break.