Mercedes heads to Austin with a new floor in its crates for its W14 car, a change that will be the team’s “last significant update” for 2023 according to team boss Toto Wolff.
This week’s US Grand Prix will kick off a triple-header for F1 on the American continent, with teams traveling to Mexico after Austin and then to Sao Paulo before regrouping and undertaking the final two rounds of the season, in Las Vegas and in Abu Dhabi.
Since last spring, Mercedes’ progress on the track has been steady thanks to a development programme that has improved the Brackley squad’s car, although it has remained – like its rivals – well adrift from Red Bull’s dominant RB19.
While Mercedes hopes that its new floor will boost the performance of its car, the principal purpose of the upgrade is to validate the team’s development direction for next season.
“We'll be bringing a modified floor, which is the last significant update we will take to the track this year,” said Wolff in Mercedes US GP preview.
“It will hopefully bring a small gain but more importantly, is another milestone in setting our development path for W15.”
Mercedes holds the runner up spot in F1’s Constructors’ standings but with just a 28-point advantage over Ferrari, the team cannot afford a mishap like the one it suffered in Qatar last time out when Lewis Hamilton and George Russell colliding at the first corner at Lusail.
“As a team, you never want to see your cars collide,” said Wolff.
“It was frustrating to leave a lot of points on the table, particularly as the pace of the car was strong. It was encouraging though to see how the drivers and the team reacted.
“Both Lewis and George know the team comes first and do not ever intend to jeopardise that. I am sure we will all grow from this moment.
“The battle for second in the Constructors' has become more intense in recent races. We will keep our heads down, keep pushing and aim to score as many points as we can to increase our advantage,” concluded the Mercedes boss.
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