The F1 2024 campaign has reached its second calendar stop, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where it appears Mercedes has a new low-downforce rear wing to send into battle.
With the Bahrain season-opener in the books, attention now turns to Round 2, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, where Mercedes will be hoping for a happier experience out on the track.
The high-speed, twisting Jeddah Corniche Circuit provides a very different test to the Bahrain International Circuit and its mix of high-speed and tight, technical sections, which it appears has been reflected in the rear wing which Mercedes will bolt onto the W15s in Saudi Arabia.
Respected reporter Albert Fabrega took to social media to share images of the rear wing which Mercedes will allegedly debut for the Saudi GP, designed to minimise the drag and therefore boost speed around the fast and thrilling Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Mercedes suffered what team boss Toto Wolff branded an “underwhelming” start to the F1 2024 campaign, as power unit cooling issues plagued their Bahrain race, costing George Russell and Lewis Hamilton what Russell estimated to be “four-tenths a lap”.
Wolff claimed the performance loss was more like six-tenths per lap, as he set the goal of a “more consistent” race weekend for Mercedes in Saudi Arabia, one where they can tap into the true potential of the W15.
“Our race in Bahrain was best described as underwhelming,” Wolff said.
“We were hopeful of a stronger showing after our performance in practice and qualifying.
“Both drivers were pleased with the balance earlier in the weekend, and the more stable platform provided by the W15.
“Unfortunately on Saturday evening, our cooling performance didn’t match our predictions. That forced us into management mode early on, which had the knock-on impact of reducing tyre temperatures below optimum.
“That cost us the opportunity to show something closer to our true potential. It was a frustrating way to start the season but one we will learn from.
“We’ve got an opportunity to take a step forward immediately. Jeddah is a street track with a lot of high-speed content.
“It will be good to continue our learning with the new car on a very different circuit to Bahrain. We will be aiming for a more consistent weekend and to understand our true performance relative to the rest of the grid.”
Red Bull and Max Verstappen have already laid down a daunting marker for their F1 2024 rivals, Verstappen going from pole to victory in Bahrain by 22.5 seconds over team-mate Sergio Perez, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, 25 seconds behind Verstappen at the chequered flag, completed the podium.
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