Source: REUTERS/Gintare Karpaviciute
[Saba Sports News] Mercedes faced a disastrous weekend at last week’s F1 Austrian Grand Prix. Team principal Toto Wolff admitted that the team had “deliberately tested” the W16 car settings during the race, which, although valuable, completely sacrificed the race performance. High temperatures once again exposed the weaknesses of the Mercedes car. Although George Russell won the Canadian Grand Prix, the car’s performance dropped significantly in the hot Austrian track. Russell qualified fifth but managed to hold his position during the race, yet finished over a minute behind winner Lando Norris. After the race, Russell said the car was difficult to control in high temperatures, with severe wheel slip when cornering. For the past six months, the team has been trying to solve this issue, and they have some direction now, but haven’t found a fundamental breakthrough yet. Fortunately, the next race in Britain will be cooler, and the car will regain competitiveness. In our view, for the Mercedes team, the British Grand Prix not only represents home advantage but is also significant. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the first Formula 1 World Championship held at Silverstone. Mercedes will commemorate this milestone with a special livery, using the AMG concept car “Sunset Beam Orange” color, adding a new touch to the team’s culture.