Mercedes Shows Signs of Improvement at Japanese Grand Prix Despite Ongoing Challenges

Lewis Hamilton, British driver for Mercedes AMG in the Formula 1 World Championship, showed improvement with his car during the Japanese Grand Prix compared to last season. Mercedes faced challenges this year with their redesigned car, which proved to be unpredictable and has a limited operating range. The car also struggles in high-speed corners due to a correlation issue highlighted at the Suzuka circuit. However, Hamilton was pleased with the car’s performance on track, qualifying in seventh place and finishing less than three tenths behind the third-placed driver. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff acknowledged that the overall result was not ideal, but emphasized the progress made by the team. He noted that the small differences between the cars on the grid masked the positive developments made with the Mercedes W15. Wolff also mentioned the team’s dedication to better understanding the car and building upon its current platform. Mercedes’ track engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, echoed Wolff’s sentiments, stating that the team had made progress in improving the car’s consistency and drivability. However, he acknowledged that they still need to find more performance to compete with the leading teams. Looking ahead to the race, Wolff anticipated a tight battle behind Red Bull, with McLaren’s Lando Norris leading the fight for the final podium position. He expressed uncertainty about the race result, but emphasized the team’s determination to maximize their performance and achieve the best possible result.