Mercedes not afraid of Sprint format, Toto Wolff confirms updates: “We want to close the gap with the leaders”. Toto Wolff confirmed that the W15 will have the final update package of 2024 in Austin.

Updated Mercedes in Austin
In Austin, Mercedes will seek to understand its identity. For yet another time in the last three years, the Brackley team is overwhelmed by doubts about its car and the path it has taken. Those doubts, which seemed to have been swept away by the three summer victories (including a double win in the Belgian Grand Prix at the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, which was later canceled due to George Russell‘s disqualification), have returned as we approach autumn, amid Monza, Azerbaijan, and Singapore.

To “assist” itself in this self-analysis process, the W15 single-seater will have the final update aerodynamic package of the year in the United States Grand Prix weekend, with which team principal Toto Wolff hopes to get closer to the top positions. Therefore, Brackley has chosen a Sprint weekend to introduce the updates, a rather unusual dynamic since there are only 60 minutes to test the package before the Parc Fermé.

Toto Wolff’s comments
The Austrian framed the weekend at COTA with these comments: “This weekend marks the beginning of an intense run towards the end of the year. We have six races in the next eight weeks, concluding with the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Even though we are not in contention for the championship, there is still much to fight for, and there are opportunities to do well along the way. We want to build momentum for 2025 and say goodbye to Lewis in the best way possible.” – the Mercedes team boss pointed out.

“For this reason, since Singapore, we have been working hard to analyze our performance and understand how to improve. We will bring our last update package of the season to Texas, and our goal is to close the gap with the leaders. Additionally, we will provide useful information that will help guide our development direction for 2025,” he added. “The Sprint format returns this weekend, and we need to be at our best to effectively introduce the update package. The Circuit of the Americas is a fantastic track, but it challenged us last year. Its high-speed layout, combined with the bumpy surface, makes it a challenge for both the car and the driver. It’s a track we are looking forward to tackling.” – Toto Wolff concluded ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin.