Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said that the team will find more efficient solutions when designing the car for the next season. The results of Mercedes are significantly worse this year compared to past successes. From 2014 to 2021, the German team was first in the Constructors’ Championship eight times in a row, but this season it has yet to win. Red Bull, which took second place last season, is dominant this year and the Austrian team has already mathematically secured the title of champion in Austin with three races to go. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton came close to winning the US Grand Prix, but finished behind two-time back-to-back champion Max Verstappen. “The DNA of our car will be different next season. It doesn’t mean that the chassis will change a lot, but the way we approach the design of the vehicle,” said Wolff.
Mercedes’ problems were particularly pronounced at the beginning of the year, when the W13 car bounced at high speeds. In addition, Red Bull and Ferrari have a higher top speed – which prevented Hamilton from offering much resistance during the battle for victory with Verstappen. Lewis praised his team after the race in Texas.
“Red Bull on the straights, with the help of DRS, has an advantage of 35 kilometers per hour. If Mercedes is behind Red Bull, even with the help of DRS, our maximum speed is 22 kilometers per hour less than theirs,” said Hamilton. Mercedes takes third place in the constructors’ championship with 416 points, even 240 less than this year’s champions Red Bull.
