Credits: Imago

Mercedes were nowhere near the pace of Red Bull since the new regulations were introduced in 2022. The once-dominant team that won eight consecutive championships had been dwindling in the midfield for two seasons. However, the last two races have seen the Silver Arrows climb out of that hole. The mood in the Brackley-based outfit seems to be one of optimism, and Mercedes publicly acknowledges the same.

“For us, it was very encouraging to see that we were quick enough to get on the podium. Clearly, the car is working well. We need to keep delivering these upgrades” said Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin in Mercedes’ latest debrief video following the Spanish GP.

Lewis Hamilton finished P3 in Barcelona, making it two podium finishes in two races. But that is not where the German stable wants to stop. Revealing that Mercedes are aiming for race wins with the upcoming upgrades, he added, “That gap has been coming down. Hopefully, we can continue to shrink it and hopefully get to a point where we can fight for wins.”

Two weeks before Hamilton’s Spanish GP heroics, George Russell grabbed the pole position in Montreal. He was in contention for a race win too, but missed out on the race due to a couple of unforced errors. Nonetheless, he too, finished P3.

The Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona in Spain is a great testing ground for cars to analyze their all-round package. If a car looks fast there, they are expected to be competitive around all the tracks.

Toto Wolff is hopeful of maintaining the upward trajectory with the upgrades

Mercedes’ Technical Director James Allison explained how the team felt ‘dumb’ upon realizing what was holding them back (performance-wise) for so long. But now that they have resolved the issue, Mercedes will be right back near the front of the grid.

Mercedes’ latest upgrade includes an alteration to the front wing, and the floor works like magic too. As such, Team Principal Toto Wolff believes that if Mercedes can continue to improve like they are, Hamilton and Russell can compete with the front runners.

“I think, hopefully, performance is going to continue to improve so we can match these guys in the front”, said Wolff according to GP Blog. With Wolff, Shovlin, and Allison all confirming possible race wins for Mercedes, the Silver Arrows well and truly look like they are back.