Mercedes banking on ‘progress’ in Melbourne on W15 deficit

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Toto Wolff says Mercedes has been hard at work since Jeddah trying to understand its car’s high-speed corner deficit and the Austrian hopes that this week’s race in Melbourne will show some progress.

The high-speed instability of the Brackley squad’s W15 heavily weighed on the team’s performance in Saudi Arabia where George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished respectively sixth and ninth.

At Jeddah, the deficit was such that Hamilton felt that he was racing in a “different category” compared to his rivals.

“We left points on the table in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia,” commented Wolff in Mercedes’ Australian GP preview.

“We started off each weekend strongly, running our usual practice programmes, but couldn't deliver on that initial promise. With the chasing pack being so close, maximising the potential of the car each weekend is key.

Read also: Mercedes planning ‘experiments’ in Melbourne to fix W15 issues

“Albert Park gives us another chance to show what we can do. It is a great circuit in a great city, with a passionate and vocal fan base, and we look forward to returning.”

In Jeddah, Wolff hinted at a fundamental issue hiding under the skin of its silver arrows which set-up work could clearly not mitigate, or at least not enough.

The Austrian bemoaned the problem, as Mercedes otherwise believes that its W15 harbors some strong potential.

“We've been hard at work since Jeddah building on the learnings from the first two races,” he added.

“It's encouraging to see the potential in the W15 but there are also clear areas of improvement. We have looked competitive in low and medium speed corners but high-speed has been a weakness so far.

“We have been working hard to understand why our performance hasn't reflected our expectations. Improving that is a major focus.

“We hope to make some initial progress for Melbourne, and that work will guide our development in the weeks ahead. It's great to feel the energy and determination running through the factories as we work to unlock the potential of the car.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.