There are two types of No Man’s Land scenarios in Formula 1. The first is when you’re not quite the worst team on the grid, but you’re hardly good enough to keep with the midfield. The other is where Mercedes have been for these past few years – good enough to score podiums, but not to win races.
As previously reported and since confirmed, this will be Lewis Hamilton’s final year with Mercedes, which is where he spent the last 11 seasons. Alongside the German outfit, Hamilton won a total of six titles, becoming the winningest driver in Formula 1 history, with a total of 103 Grand Prix victories.
With Hamilton and Russell behind the wheel, Mercedes hope to close the gap to Red Bull while also fending off the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, and the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
The German outfit’s weapon of choice for the 2024 F1 season is dubbed the W15 E Performance, and it features a new chassis, new gearbox casing, a more “predictable” rear axle design, and better DRS efficiency. The team worked hard to ensure that the rear axle in particular retains better control of the tires than on the W14.
Still, the magic happens underneath, as explained by technical director James Allison: “With this current generation of cars, so much of the performance comes from how the floor interacts with the road. Whether or not a car is effective is down to how well that floor is permitted to behave aerodynamically.”
One visible difference between the W15 and its predecessor is the new livery, which helps mark the 90th anniversary of the Silver Arrows. As such, the team decided to use silver once again, complementing the iconic black. You’ve got silver on the nose section, as well as on the three-point star pattern on the engine cover. The car then fades to black, while also showcasing ‘Toto Rosso’ accents on various other components.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG F1 team
Speaking of components, while the zero-pod concept is dead and buried as far as Mercedes are concerned, this editor can’t help but notice the rather unorthodox shape of the inlets. It’s as if the team can’t help itself but to try and be different. Then again, Red Bull’s car from 2023 (the RB19) also had thin openings for the inlets, although they were clearly wider than what Mercedes have slapped on the W15.
As for when you’ll be able to see the new W15 hard at work, stay tuned to the team’s social media channels so you can watch the car on-track at Silverstone. Afterwards, the focus will turn to Bahrain for pre-season testing – on February 21-23.
The 2024 Formula 1 season kicks off at the 5.412 km (3,362 miles) long Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, on March 2.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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