Mercedes head to Hungary with a spring in their step following the team’s back-to-back victories at Spielberg and at Silverstone, but team boss Toto Wolff warns that the Brackley squad’s W15 is still not a car that can win every weekend.
Mercedes’ recent strong performances are in stark contrast to the challenging start endured by the team earlier this year.
But tireless efforts to understand and improve its car’s behaviour have paid handsome dividends since Montreal in both qualifying and on race day.
However, Wolff isn’t getting carried away, especially as the Hungaroring will present a different challenge compared to the high-speed circuits of Austria and Silverstone.
With its tight and twisty layout, the track will put a different emphasis on the car's characteristics and likely display the W15’s true colors.
But despite the change in track profile, Mercedes are confident in their ability to continue their upward trajectory.
“We head into the upcoming double header with momentum. We have continued to make progress with the W15 in recent races. That has led to headline results in Austria and Silverstone,” Wolff said in his team's Hungarian Grand Prix preview.
“However, we know we don't yet have a car that can challenge for victories every weekend.
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“The Hungaroring is different in character to the past couple of circuits. Unlike Silverstone, it features plenty of tight and twisty sections, with just one meaningful straight.
“It does contain some high-speed corners too however, and it will therefore be another good examination of the gains we've made across the corner speed range.
“We head into the weekend focused on doing the best job we can. We hope to maintain this positive trajectory and finish the first half of the season as strongly as possible.”
The team has been relentlessly developing the W15 throughout the season, and further upgrades are planned for both the Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix.
“The team is working hard to bring more steps of performance that we hope will enable us to do that. Those efforts will continue over the next two races and right up until shutdown.”
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