Mercedes’ pace at the Turkish Grand Prix has rekindled the team’s confidence in its championship chances, according to its technical director at the track, Andrew Shovlin.
Although Lewis Hamilton lost the lead in the Drivers’ Championship to rival Max Verstappen last weekend, the team was quick enough to block the front row before the world champion’s engine change penalty on 11th Hamilton recovered and finished fifth during the Team-mate Valtteri Bottas ‘victory extended Mercedes’ lead at the top of the championship.
In addition to the team’s sixth win of the season, Shovlin said her overall performance was “the other positive aspect of the weekend” in Istanbul.
“We were in good shape” [in the] dry, we showed good pace in the wet and it looks like a car that can win championships. And when you look back on the early parts of the year and the decisions we are making regarding development to balance the two years, one of our worries has been that by the end of the year we will still be able to do so to do? put the car on pole to get a lockout in the front row to control a race? “
Mercedes started the season with three wins from the first four races and then only got one win from the next 10 events. But after successive victories in Russia and Turkey, they lead Red Bull with 36 points in the constructors ‘championship, while Hamilton is just two behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship.
“It’s really reassuring that we’re in the top six now. We showed that we have a package that they can overtake on a Saturday and overtake on a Sunday, ”said Shovlin.
Despite the team’s strong form over the past few years at the Circuit of the Americas, which will host the next round of the World Championship, Shovlin says they look for pitfalls rather than opportunities in the upcoming races.
“We have to go to all of these races and see what will catch up with us, not what will be great and easy for us,” he said. “We don’t take that approach. It’s just about looking at all of the data that comes out of the simulations to work out what we need to do with the car.
“It’s a completely different tarmac there, but it’s a track where Lewis was very strong and it’s a track where there are good opportunities to overtake, there is a deterioration. That changes the dynamics of the race a little.
“There’s no reason to believe that we shouldn’t be strong in Austin. But we have come well prepared [to Turkey] and the car is in the right window and we have to do that right for the next race. “
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F1 season 2021
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