F1 pundit labels Mercedes’ Belgiam GP weekend a ‘step backwards’

Mercedes are currently over 250 points adrift of Red Bull in the constructor standings.

F1 pundit labels Mercedes’ Belgiam GP weekend a ‘step backwards’

Toto Wolff (Left, credits: Robb Report) and Timo Glock (Right, Credits: Press 24.net)

Timo Glock, a former F1 driver who now works as a pundit, provided his honest assessment of Mercedes’ performance during the Belgian Grand Prix in the aftermath of the weekend. He noticed a disturbing tendency of decline for the former world champions. Glock covered a variety of themes in his Sky Germany column, including Mercedes’ weekend problems.

Spa saw Mercedes unveil their second major upgrade of the season- revamped sidepods which featured a bump in the coke bottle region, a new bodywork, floor, and front suspension, forming their second substantial package of the season.  Hopes were high for the Silver Arrows, but as the dust settled, it became evident that the much-heralded improvements had not yielded the desired results.

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Alas, their efforts to match rivals faltered, though fortune favored them with two retirements from Ferrari and McLaren, securing prominent points finish behind Red Bull. Nevertheless, the difference in pace remained glaring as Lewis Hamilton struggled to challenge Charles Leclerc for a podium, lagging three seconds on average and settling for fourth. 

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Once renowned for their mastery in decoding wind tunnel data, Mercedes now grapples with the challenges of the new generation of cars. While their pursuit for solutions endures, Spa witnessed a slight regression in their progress. Speaking about the team’s performance, the former German driver remarked, “In Spa, however, it was a small step backwards.”

Discover: Toto Wolff is adamant Mercedes is on the right development path despite the return of porpoising at the Belgian GP

Timo Glock believes that Mercedes are struggling to reciprocate their gains from wind tunnel

Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes W14 in wet
Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes W14 in wet (Credits: Sports Illustrated)

Timo Glock candidly remarked, “Mercedes seems to have the porpoising problem again. The current difficulty for Toto Wolff’s team is to understand why the data coming from the wind tunnel does not correspond to that on the track in reality.”The pursuit of glory continued to elude the Silver Arrows ever since the inception of the new downforce era.

As Glock pointed out, the German team’s efforts to reap dividends from the controversial zero-pod design proved futile. The Hungarian pole position, where Hamilton squeezed every ounce of potential from his W14 to snatch the pole position from Max Verstappen, stands as their sole high point of the season amid five podium finishes without a win.

Mercedes have been nearly half a second adrift of Red Bull and Max Verstappen, who are now on a roll with consecutive wins. With an ongoing struggle to decode the mysteries of the new era and rivals holding a competitive edge, the Silver Arrows must now tread carefully, seeking swift answers to reclaim their former glory. They will need the four-week hiatus for regrouping.

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