Barcelona To Provide 'Good Test' Of Progress For Mercedes Says Wolff

Tuesday, 18 June 2024 at 22:00

The tenth race weekend of the season at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is going to be a real test of Mercedes's progress, according to Toto Wolff.

The 2024 Canadian Grand Prix (the ninth round of the season) was Mercedes's strongest result of the year so far. The German team introduced upgrades that suddenly seemed to have fixed their cars' problems, allowing George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to compete for the podium.

However, the Canadian Grand Prix took place at a newly resurfaced Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which is very specific and unlike any other circuit in the calendar.

While the performance in Canada was very encouraging for Silver Arrows and provided an important boost in team morale, it is crucial for Mercedes to now show a similar kind of competitiveness at other venues. Previewing the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, Toto Wolff said:

"The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a unique track, however. It has a narrow range of corner speeds and, with a newly re-laid surface, was something of an outlier compared to more traditional venues."

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"We know our competitors will perform more strongly at upcoming races so we will need to continue to work hard to consistently get ourselves in the fight for podiums, and eventually race wins."

As Mercedes's team principal revealed after the race in Canada, his team plans to introduce further upgrades in Barcelona. This track is also where Mercedes scored its strongest result in 2023.

However, the circuit in Barcelona is also supposed to suit the championship-leading Red Bull, which will be the favorite. If Mercedes manages to stand up to the team from Milton Keynes in Spain, it is game on for the remainder of the season. Wolff added:

"Barcelona will provide a good test of our progress. It has a mix of fast, medium, and low speed corners, a long straight and plenty of elevation change."

"Tracks that contain this wide speed range have been a weakness of ours so far this year. This weekend will therefore provide another opportunity to evaluate our progress through our recent updates, and we hope to build on the positive momentum from Montreal."