Development of the Mercedes during 2024 is divided into three phases. The updates in the first third of the season aim to address the aerodynamic characteristics of the W15, with the goal of widening its operating window and improving its balance, which was affected by imbalances between high- and low-speed corners. In June and July, the Silver Arrows were once again able to compete for victory, but as development progressed, performance improvements increasingly came at the expense of drivability. With the latest updates, Mercedes aimed to increase aerodynamic downforce while also improving predictability, laying the groundwork for the 2025 project.
The Beginning
Like much of the competition, Mercedes’ early races featured few new developments. In Jeddah, the medium-downforce rear wing debuted, significantly less loaded than the one used in 2023, indicating increased downforce from the floor. In Saudi Arabia, small adjustments were also made to the rear wheel deflectors, while at the Shanghai race, the team worked on the aerodynamics around the halo.
Miami
In Florida, the development of the W15 took off. The floor was entirely new, with a noticeable extension of the raised area along the side edge to aid the extraction of flows through the center of the car. Mercedes also began experimenting with the front wing, changing the upper flaps. These modifications interacted with the front suspension arms, which were fitted with new fairings to better align the airflow from the front end and direct it between the floor and the air intakes.
Imola
In Italy, a third version of the floor debuted, with such minimal tweaks that they were barely noticeable from the outside. New brake cooling ducts were introduced for the front brakes, a focal point throughout the year to manage tire temperatures and reduce the impact of hot air exiting downstream. The team also renewed the high-downforce package, introducing a new rear wing and beam wing. Overall, Mercedes showed a gradual and small-step approach to development, avoiding the introduction of large packages all at once. “What we’re now seeing on the car is that, rather than miraculous updates, these small improvements are improving the car’s balance,” said Toto Wolff.
Monte Carlo
In Monaco, the team made the usual adaptations for the most twisty track of the year, including a maximum-downforce rear wing. However, they also introduced general updates. The most important was a new concept for the front wing, with Mercedes abandoning the early-season setup that featured the last flap tapering near the nose to generate an additional vortex. Small interventions were also made to the floor area, with bulges on the sides of the chassis at the Venturi channel entry section.
Canada
In Montreal, experiments with the new front wing continued, which was confirmed for race use. New fairings for the front suspension arms debuted on the W15, optimizing the new front airflow structure introduced by the Monaco wing. In Canada, the team also renewed the front brake cooling ducts for the second time in the season.
Austria
At the Red Bull Ring, the W15 received a new beam wing, but the most significant changes were beneath the surface. A noticeable bulge appeared at the front of the car, labeled by the team as a modification for cockpit cooling, but with strong suspicions that it housed a new front suspension mechanism to better stabilize the floor at low ride heights. The data confirmed a significant performance boost for Mercedes in Austria, where, aided by a collision between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, George Russell secured the win.
Silverstone and Budapest
Lewis Hamilton celebrated a historic win at his home race, aboard an even more refined Mercedes. The W15 featured several adaptations for the fast English track, including changes to the front brake ducts and the upper flaps of both the front and rear wings. Modifications were also made to the rear wheelgroup appendages, with similar changes occurring in the subsequent Budapest race.
Spa
In Belgium, Mercedes updated the low-downforce aerodynamic package, with changes to the beam wing and front wing flaps. The most important update, however, was the floor, modified both along the outer edge and within the Venturi channel volumes. However, the changes didn’t completely convince the team, as they repeatedly conducted comparative tests between the new and old specifications in subsequent races. Track data confirmed an increase in aerodynamic downforce, but the impression was that this compromised handling characteristics and the feel of the car. Shovlin summarized: “A difficult question we need to ask ourselves is: is this package subtly affecting drivability, and we hadn’t anticipated it?”
Monza
Brackley’s team arrived in Italy without a specific wing for the Temple of Speed. Instead, the W15 ran with the wing introduced a month earlier in Spa, now fitted with a new mobile profile along the upper edge.
Austin
The Texas package concluded the seasonal development of the W15, with changes from front to rear. Once again, Mercedes attempted to adjust the aerodynamic setup of the front end with updates to both the front wing and the suspension fairings. A new floor also debuted in Austin, enhanced by a bodywork now more excavated along the lower sidepods, thanks to a new radiator air intake configuration. The team devised new strategies for expelling hot air, opening additional vents in the bodywork near the rear suspension attachment points.
Unlike the Spa package, the updates introduced there were confirmed for the subsequent races. “From what we’ve measured, we’re seeing the downforce we expected and in the expected range of ride heights,” said Shovlin, but admitted that the W15 still had difficulties in sequential slow corners. “We didn’t expect this update package to improve this aspect. The expectation was simply to improve the car’s base performance, and from what we’ve seen, we’re confident it does.” The W16 will therefore need to address the remaining gaps in its predecessor, which nonetheless managed to secure four wins during the season.
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