James Allison identifies W15 difficulties in Melbourne

With a third weekend in a row particularly complicated for Mercedes at the start of the season, the alarm bell was sounded by several big heads from the stable, as it happens Toto wolff et Lewis Hamilton. We will have to work hard on the Brackley side to resolve the problems of the W15 as quickly as possible. In Australia, the two cars from the German team were far from the leading group and were both forced to retire, a first since the Austrian Grand Prix in 2018…

Little by little, the main problems with the Mercedes began to be identified. Among them, the loss of downforce in fast turns. However, solutions to overcome these defects remain unclear. In an interview published on the Mercedes YouTube channel, James Allison takes stock of the start of the season.

“We are starting to see a pattern emerge, confides the British technical director. Most weekends we have a period where we feel good with the car, where we have confidence in it. But then, in the important sessions, in qualifying and in the race, we struggle.”

Mercedes suffering with high temperatures

In Australia, the W15 seems to have suffered from the climate, particularly during racing. "The strongest correlation we could make at the moment is that when the track is hot, at the peak temperature in the day, and therefore the tire temperature increases, that's when we we lose our competitiveness, deplores James Allison. The times when we performed the best were all in the sessions where it was the coolest. This gives us some clues about what we need to do moving forward. »

However, according to Allison, Mercedes will be able to fix the problem in the next Grands Prix by changing a few parameters on the car. Obviously, this won't cure all of the Silver Arrows' ills, but it could help them take a first step forward: “If we have correctly identified the reasons why our competitiveness increases and decreases, then we can work over the weekend on a program dedicated to trying to change the temperature and the thermal balance from the front to the rear in our favor using all conventional car tuning tools. This is work that can be done in the factory, in the simulator, etc. »

The reasons for Lewis Hamilton's retirement

In this same interview, James Allison also discussed the reasons for Lewis Hamilton's retirement from the Australian Grand Prix. “[It’s] a rapid loss of oil pressure, followed by a shutdown of the engine to protect it, reveals the British engineer. When you know you have a catastrophic loss like this, the best thing you can do is stop it right away. Normally, we have a fairly clear chain of evidence of the cause of the loss, which allows us to work better for the future. »

“Everything fell apart.” 😳

It's Lewis Hamilton's turn to retire on the 17th lap of the race after an engine problem ❌#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/KB9gmDY2OF

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) March 24, 2024

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