The Silver Arrows' recent performances have shown promise outside of their traditional stronghold of Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Lewis Hamilton showcased his competitiveness by closely challenging Fernando Alonso throughout the Grand Prix in Montreal and staying within touching distance of Max Verstappen during the first stint. However, it is clear that Red Bull still enjoys a commanding advantage with their RB19 car's exceptional performance across various circuits.
Despite their strengths on track, Mercedes were also reminded of their weaknesses during the Canadian race. Issues such as inefficient tyre warm-up and limited overall traction and downforce highlighted areas for further improvement.
In light of these challenges and opportunities for improvement, team principal Toto Wolff confirmed that additional updates will be introduced to enhance the W14's performance. Speaking after the Canadian Grand Prix concluded, Wolff stated:
“We are bringing a larger one to Silverstone; then we should have another one."
He emphasized how learning from recent developments had accelerated progress significantly since changes were made to some conceptual aspects of the car’s architecture.
“There should be decent steps coming in the next four races,"
he added.
Wolff expressed confidence that progress was being made through substantial steps forward compared to previous updates: "So generally, the steps are getting bigger. I think we are making good inroads."
With the upcoming rounds leading up to the Belgian Grand Prix being a crucial period for development across all teams, Mercedes aims to narrow the gap with Red Bull as much as possible this year. While some teams have already shifted their focus towards 2024 development and allocating resources accordingly, both Mercedes and Red Bull still have more updates planned for this season.
Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull Racing, has acknowledged that his squad must be selective due to wind tunnel restrictions while continuing their pursuit of on-track dominance. Meanwhile, Mercedes is focused on fully understanding their relatively new concept before committing entirely to next year's campaign.
The W14's recent performance has been remarkable considering how quickly the team has adapted and optimized its changes. The challenging task now lies in further closing the gap with Red Bull while simultaneously laying a solid foundation to prevent another season of playing catch-up in 2023.
As Formula 1 enters this intense phase of development ahead of the summer break, fans are likely to witness an exciting battle between Mercedes and Aston Martin as they introduce their latest improvements. As Mercedes are determined to make improvements at these races and beyond Silverstone, it remains to be seen whether they can successfully challenge Red Bull's dominance or whether Max Verstappen will continue his dominant reign at the top of F1.
