Mercedes still confident in upgraded W15 floor despite Spa ditch

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Mercedes says it will reintroduce at the Dutch Grand Prix its W15’s upgraded floor, despite abandoning the element after Friday’s running at Spa-Francorchamps.

The Brackley squad introduced the new floor as part of a wider performance upgrade package that would help it close the gap to championship leaders Red Bull and McLaren.

However, after Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both experienced unexpected performance struggles during their opening day at Spa, the team opted to revert to the previous specification for the remainder of the weekend in order to approach the latter with a known baseline.

While Mercedes’ decision raised concerns about the effectiveness of the upgrade, especially in light of the update setbacks suffered recently by Ferrari and Aston Martin, team boss Toto Wolff insists the issues encountered at Spa were unrelated to the floor.

Instead, the team believes the problems were rooted in mechanical setup issues.

Read also: Mercedes 'surprised not to be quicker at start of season'

“I think we made a drastic change in order to recover some of the performance, but we believe it wasn't the floor,” Wolff explained at Spa last weekend, quoted by Motorsport.com.

“It will be quite interesting when we put everything on the car in Zandvoort and correlate, and see what it does. Then we can be sure whether it's the mechanical bit that we thought, or if there are a few interactions aerodynamically and mechanically that didn't work.”

Mercedes has enjoyed a resurgence in form in recent races, with three victories in the last four Grands Prix.

While this upturn in performance has sparked optimism within the team, Wolff remains cautious about their championship prospects.

“I think we need to remain both feet on the ground,” he explained. “The swings of performance, you see a trend definitely that's positive on our side. With some other teams, you see a negative trend.

“But I don't think we should really pre-empt how the second half of the season is going to go. I think it's a tough fight, and there are four teams that are giving it everything.

“I think we can be carefully optimistic. But we've got to prove it. There are 10 races to go.”

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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.