Mercedes Technical Director about shift regarding the drivers' involvement

• F1

Mercedes has serious plans for the next season and they want to do big things. After a disappointing season, the red alarm went off. The Mercedes executives were aware that they needed to exert greater effort if they genuinely aimed to be competitive, at least in the upcoming season.

Mercedes Technical Director James Allison gave an update on the progress of the W15 car for 2024 in Qatar last week. “It will be a different car for one thing. So, I won’t be working with this one. But he’s [Hamilton] correct in two senses.

It’s a new season, it’s important that we get off the new season on the front foot”. - Allison said, as quoted by motorsportweek.com! Allison emphasized that the 2025 car will likely be similar or the same as the 2024 car.

Therefore, it is necessary to create a car that can really do great things next year. "But more than averagely so, because with 2026 bearing down on us, a car that will need to be engineered in 2025, it’s highly likely that the 2025 cars can be close cousins of the 2024 cars.

So doubly important to get the 2024 car good”.

James Allison on Russell and Hamilton's involvement

Many believe that it is necessary that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have a say in the creation of the W15. They are the individuals best positioned to confirm where the primary issue lies and identify areas that can be addressed.

Allison revealed whether there was any involvement of these two in the creation of the new car; “Fundamental… would overstate it. At the race weekends you get your greatest access to the drivers because you’re with each other for many hours.

But it’s also a very fractious environment to interact, because the pressure of doing well at the circuit means that it’s just slightly less objective than if you’re doing it back at home. And the drivers have been good enough to put aside time for us in the slightly cooler environment of home.

And that has proved useful, it’s proved helpful for ranking the problems they have, for seeing the opportunities and just making sure that the things that we are working on are well aligned with what they’re describing”.