The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team continues to struggle in high temperatures, a persistent issue that the team has openly acknowledged and is actively working to resolve. In recent days, Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin confirmed that during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, the team finally identified the root cause of the W16’s sensitivity to heat. The question now is how they can effectively address a problem that has clearly compromised the car’s performance in several races.
Mechanical progress on the W16
The Austrian Grand Prix weekend exposed some key weaknesses of the Mercedes W16. Young talent Kimi Antonelli eliminated himself with a mistake at Turn 3, while George Russell had an underwhelming race, hindered by poor tire management. While tire degradation wasn’t the main focus in Spielberg, it becomes a critical concern at Silverstone, where managing compound wear over a 300-kilometre distance is essential to achieving a competitive race result.
This is one of the reasons Mercedes focused heavily on long-run data during Friday’s free practice sessions. The team appeared to lack both single-lap pace and sustained race performance, with an evident gap of at least half a second to the leading teams. Across all types of corners—low, medium, and high speed—the Silver Arrows lost ground to rivals like Ferrari and McLaren. The chosen aero-mechanical compromise simply did not work on the fast, flowing layout of the British Grand Prix circuit.
Additionally, Mercedes encountered activation issues with the Pirelli C4 compound, especially during the initial phases of the runs. Traffic on track and a few minor technical gremlins did not help, but the underlying issue seemed to be an ineffective base setup. According to sources within the team, a large part of the engineering group worked tirelessly overnight from Friday into Saturday to better understand the car and implement meaningful changes.
W16: fine-tuning underway for Saturday
Back at the factory in Brackley, powerful simulation tools were used to process and analyze all the telemetry collected during practice. Based on this data, the team made a series of setup changes that are expected to be visible during the third and final practice session. While nothing is lost yet, Mercedes knows it must find greater consistency. One major problem remains the ride height setup and how it affects the performance of the rear push-rod suspension.
It’s worth recalling that Mercedes introduced a revised rear suspension concept this year, featuring a reshaped pull-rod system. This upgrade delivered excellent results at the Canadian Grand Prix but failed to replicate the same performance levels in Austria. Mechanical setup plays a decisive role here—particularly in achieving rear-end stability under all conditions, which is crucial to compensating for the W16’s lack of rotation. That shortfall has significantly limited the car’s potential at Silverstone, where cornering performance is critical.
Despite these setbacks, both Mercedes drivers pushed to the limit, even while the team continued to run various experimental setups during practice. Now, all eyes are on Free Practice 3 and qualifying, where the goal is to finally bring all the pieces together and unlock the car’s full potential. It will not be easy, however, as the issues affecting the car—particularly when ambient temperatures rise—have proven notoriously difficult to fix.
Russell and Antonelli remain confident, hope for cooler conditions
Speaking after Friday practice, Kimi Antonelli admitted it had not been one of the easiest days of the season. The unexpected heat made tire management especially tricky, adding to the complexity of an already challenging session. Nevertheless, the Italian prospect was encouraged by the balance of the W16, saying it gave him good feedback and allowed him to enjoy pushing the limits while learning the intricacies of a track he considers one of the most special on the calendar.
Antonelli also pointed out that the team has already identified the key areas needing intervention. Looking ahead to Saturday’s sessions, he noted that weather could play a decisive role. If the skies are overcast and track temperatures drop, Mercedes could benefit significantly. The main target remains closing the gap to teams like McLaren and, most notably, Scuderia Ferrari, which delivered a surprisingly strong Friday performance at Silverstone.
George Russell also shared his thoughts, expressing frustration at how the 40-degree asphalt temperatures made tire management almost impossible. He emphasized how much the car’s performance is currently influenced by weather conditions. At the same time, he acknowledged that adapting to such scenarios is essential, given that summer has only just begun and similarly hot weekends are expected throughout the upcoming races.
Russell stressed that the team cannot rely solely on cooler temperatures to improve performance. Mercedes has worked hard to provide a more effective setup regardless of weather. Racing at home, his goal is to fight at the front and challenge the top positions—those that matter most. He will also count on the passionate support of the British fans to help turn the weekend into one worthy of the team’s expectations.
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