Formula 1: Mercedes will ‘make our car faster’

Mercedes say they do have performance upgrades for their car as they seek to keep up with Red Bull in the world championship fight.

Team principal Toto Wolff said after the Styrian Grand Prix that the team had switched focus to their 2022 car.

Technical boss James Allison said: “We have a number of things that will make our car faster in the coming races. Let’s hope they prove sufficient.”

Allison said the upgrades would be both on the chassis and engine side.

And he said there was not a contradiction between Wolff’s remarks after the race and the reality of the team’s development programme.

Wolff had spoken a number of times over the weekend at the Red Bull Ring about Mercedes’ focus on 2022, and after the race he was asked whether he meant that there would be no more upgrades to the car in 2021.

His reply was: “That’s basically what I’m saying, yes.”

He went on to say that the new car philosophy introduced by a change of regulations next year in tandem with caps on budget and aerodynamic research and development meant “you’ve got to choose the right balance and pretty much everyone will be on next year’s car”.

Agencies