Wolff says Mercedes 'sails now set for 2024'

Toto Wolff says Mercedes' engineers have now switched their focus to next year's contender although the team will continue its efforts to optimize the performance of its W14 car.

Upgrades implemented by Mercedes in the wake of the significant design overhaul introduced in Monaco have helped the Brackley squad improve its performance, although pace fluctuations, a widespread characteristic of this year's cars - save for Red Bull - remain the norm from track to track or even from day to day.

In the back half of the season, Mercedes will continue to implement small updates on its car in a bid to improve its performance and it will also continue to try and extract valuable learnings that can be applied to its 2024 machine.

Overall, the bulk of Mercedes' resources are now being channeled towards next season's charger.

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"The sails are set for 2024 now," Wolff said. "We still have some updates to come with W14, but I find focus switching to next year good, because there is so much we can optimize on the current car without looking too much into upgrades.

"Let’s see how we can get it into more of a sweet spot while gaining lots of understanding for next year. The more learnings we can find, the better placed we will be for 2024 and beyond."

Instilling balance stability and therefore improving its drivers' confidence levels are among Mercedes prime objectives for next season.

Handling has been at the center of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell's main grievances this season, with both drivers complaining about the instability of their mount upon turn-in followed by a lack of front-end grip in the middle of a corner.

"We are also trying to make the car more reassuring for the drivers when they initially turn in. It feels too reactive," explained Mercedes technical director James Allison.

"And then when they get to the apex they have the opposite problem, where we want it to bite at the front and it doesn't.

"It's unstable when you first turn the wheel and then annoyingly dead when they get to the apex. We want it the other way around. That's what we are working on."

Wolff reckoned that providing a more comfortable car to Mercedes' drivers would immediately unlock performance.

"We need to give the drivers a more reliable car and platform when it comes to the balance and feeling," he said.

"It's not about absolute downforce but it's for them to know that the car is going to be stable when they turn into the corner. That isn't the case for now.

"It is a big focus for us, as it will give the drivers more confidence and with that will come more performance."

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