Mercedes have resolved their underlying limitations, believes Andrea Stella. The McLaren team principal is weary of the threat posed by the Silver Arrows. According to the Italian, the latest surge in speed from the Brackley-based team has been coming for some time.
There is now great debate across F1 circles about how sustainable the W15’s performance from Canada is. For Stella, the current growth at Mercedes is sustainable.
Even before last weekend, Mercedes had reasons to be hopeful for the future. Although predicting the pecking order for 2026 is almost impossible, the prevailing narrative in the paddock is that Mercedes will have a strong power unit in 2026.
Despite their results to start 2024, there is a sense of inevitability about Toto Wolff’s personnel returning to the front with fresh engine regulations.
Luckily for Toto Wolff and his personnel, the next eighteen months are not a write-off. After weeks of increasingly confident statements from Toto Wolff and George Russell, the Canadian GP saw the W15 perform at its best.
The era of ‘experimenting’ has passed, with James Allison’s technical team now confident they understand what direction to pursue.
Canadian Grand Prix, Sunday – Jiri Krenek
STELLA: Mercedes can now capitalise on their potential
The return of the Silver Arrows is recognised elsewhere on the grid. McLaren’s Andrea Stella is among those to discuss the Mercedes threat:
“I said to some colleagues on Thursday that I think Mercedes is one of the fastest teams,” he said in Canada.
“Some of the lap times they drove in Monaco or at the previous events were out of reach for us…
“We couldn’t do those lap times at that point in the weekend, even with low fuel and a revved engine. They clearly had potential, and I think they’re starting to learn how to exploit it.”
For a long time, the progress at McLaren only magnified the failures at Mercedes. It isn’t very often that a customer team outperforms a manufacturer.
Thankfully for the German constructor, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The next few rounds are an opportunity for the team to consolidate their position at the front.
Not only will their scheduled updates improve their 2024 performance, but they could also position George Russell and his next teammate for a very successful 2025 campaign.
