Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has admitted that the team's recent performances have not met internal standards, following a challenging Belgian Grand Prix.
Why it matters
George Russell described Mercedes' showing at Spa as their "worst performance of the season," struggling to break into the top four. This admission from Wolff highlights a period of underperformance for the team, which is now losing ground to Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship, trailing by 28 points in the race for second place.
The current situation
Russell indicated that the W16 feels less stable at the rear and that the team has taken "a step backwards" in performance. The team is actively working to understand and address these issues, especially ahead of the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.
Wolff's perspective
Wolff stated that the Brackley-based team is working "flat out" to optimize their potential. "Our performances in recent races have not been up to our standards, and we have work planned to both understand why that has been and get on top of it this weekend," Wolff said, emphasizing the push for a positive result before the summer break.
Potential causes and what's next
Part of Russell's frustration stems from the W16's performance even in what he considered "ideal" conditions. He speculates that the FIA Technical Directive regarding front wing deflection, implemented at Barcelona, might be a contributing factor to the dip in competitiveness.
Mercedes' trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, confirmed that the team can adjust certain aspects of the W16. Following a meeting with drivers like Russell and Kimi Antonelli, Shovlin noted, "We've got a meeting with the drivers to go through some of what we've done over the year to try and make sure that our efforts are focused on the right things, not just changing things for the sake of it."
The team aims to analyze data and make necessary changes to regain their competitive edge, with hopes of a stronger showing in Budapest.