Toto Wolff reveals “major focus” for Mercedes as they look to solve high-speed woes.
Toto Wolff looks ahead to this weekend's Australian Grand Prix with Mercedes looking to solve their high-speed weakness.
19 Mar 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Toto Wolff is hopeful Mercedes make “some initial progress” in understanding why they were so poor in high-speed corners at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Mercedes struggled considerably in the first part of the lap in Jeddah, with telemetry showing they were slower than Alpine in some of the high-speed corners.

Speaking ahead of the race, Wolff said... “We've been hard at work since Jeddah building on the learnings from the first two races,” he said. “It's encouraging to see the potential in the W15 but there are also clear areas of improvement. We have looked competitive in low and medium speed corners but high-speed has been a weakness so far.”

“We have been working hard to understand why our performance hasn't reflected our expectations. Improving that is a major focus. We hope to make some initial progress for Melbourne, and that work will guide our development in the weeks ahead. It's great to feel the energy and determination running through the factories as we work to unlock the potential of the car.”

“Major focus”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104572...igh-speed-woes


Wolff lays out simple instruction for Mercedes in Australia
Mercedes has started the season on the back-foot, not scoring a podium in the first two races, but returns to a track it impressed at last season.
19 March 2:35PM
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Toto Wolff... ...highlighted its biggest weakness. "We've been hard at work since Jeddah building on the learnings from the first two races," explained Wolff. It's encouraging to see the potential in the W15 but there are also clear areas of improvement, we have looked competitive in low and medium-speed corners but high-speed has been a weakness so far.”

"We have been working hard to understand why our performance hasn't reflected our expectations. Improving that is a major focus. We hope to make some initial progress for Melbourne, and that work will guide our development in the weeks ahead. It's great to feel the energy and determination running through the factories as we work to unlock the potential of the car.”

"We left points on the table in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, we started off each weekend strongly, running our usual practice programmes, but couldn't deliver on that initial promise. With the chasing pack being so close, maximising the potential of the car each weekend is key. Albert Park gives us another chance to show what we can do."

‘Simple instruction’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-high...f-new-mercedes


Mercedes reveal ‘major focus’ on W15 with renewed ‘hope’ for Australian Grand Prix
19 Mar 2024 3:00 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Mercedes’ Toto Wolff has explained why his team is hopeful... “We’ve been hard at work since Jeddah building on the learnings from the first two races,” he said in his team’s preview of the Australian Grand Prix. “It’s encouraging to see the potential in the W15 but there are also clear areas of improvement.”

“We have looked competitive in low and medium-speed corners but high-speed has been a weakness so far. We have been working hard to understand why our performance hasn’t reflected our expectations. Improving that is a major focus. We hope to make some initial progress for Melbourne, and that work will guide our development in the weeks ahead. It’s great to feel the energy and determination running through the factories as we work to unlock the potential of the car.”

It was in Jeddah that Mercedes encountered the infamous ‘bouncing’ that has blighted previous campaigns, despite the radical departure from the previous design direction – something that’s led Wolff to concede correlation issues may be behind their struggles in low-downforce, high-speed scenarios.

‘Major focus’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...ian-grand-prix


Sainz expected to make F1 return at Australian Grand Prix
20th March 2024, 5:06
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Carlos Sainz Jnr is expected to race in the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Ferrari indicated the driver will resume his routine media duties from tomorrow at Albert Park, scene of this weekend’s race, alongside team mate Charles Leclerc. Sainz is the second driver in the last two years who was forced to miss a race due to appendicitis. Alexander Albon sat out the Italian Grand Prix in 2022 for the same reason.

He was able to return at the following race in Singapore following a three-week absence, while Sainz has had only two weeks to recover since the Saudi Arabian round. Prior to his illness, Sainz made a strong start to the season in the only other round held so far. He finished third in the Bahrain Grand Prix behind the two Red Bull drivers.

‘F1 return’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/20/...an-grand-prix/


Daniel Ricciardo admits he's treating this year's Australian Grand Prix like it's his last after struggles almost ended his career
• Ricciardo says he's treating Australian GP like it's his last
• Aussie has had an underwhelming start to the F1 season
• Says he is hoping for a top-10 finish on Sunday
23:42, 19 March 2024
James Cooney, Daily Mail Australia
MailOnline

Daniel Ricciardo is preparing for his 10th Australian Grand Prix when he returns to Melbourne this weekend and has admitted that he's treating it like it could be his last F1 race on home soil. 'You can't kind of look too far ahead and predict what is going to happen or what could happen,' he told News Corp. 'I'm obviously in different colours again but honestly really happy with where I'm at. I think just the mindset now of going racing, making every weekend count and putting everything I can into it - hopefully the fans appreciate that.'

Ricciardo is confident he can make his mark. 'I definitely thought about it in 2022 at that time when, let's say McLaren cut short the contract and I was left wondering 'is this next bunch of races going to me my last?' he said. 'At that time I was having a bad year competitively and I wasn't really sure.”

'I thought "maybe I don't love it as much as I used to. Maybe this is it. I definitely went through that but I think sitting here today I'm not of that mindset. I definitely know that there may not be whatever many more years in it. I do kind of treat it like it could be the last every year.'

‘Like it's his last’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...la-One-F1.html


‘Hate to say it’: The Ricciardo call splitting F1 — and why D-day is much sooner than expected
March 20th, 2024 9:50 am
Jacob Polychronis
Fox Sports (Australia)

It takes a lot to wipe the smile off Daniel Ricciardo’s face, but the question did it ever so slightly. As he prepared to board his flight from hometown Perth to Melbourne, a final question came about having “a point to prove” after Australian great Alan Jones said he’s “treading water” in F1. With his beaming smile dropped, and after a moment’s pause, the answer came: “Not at all. See ya.”

A hasty exit with a sour taste to kick off a week that was meant to signal a celebration of sorts for the second birth of his F1 career. Instead, there’s a feeling that Ricciardo is already one of the most under-pressure drivers on the grid with his fresh chance hanging in the balance. It’s an industry that moves at frightening speed — and he’d know that better than anyone.

F1 icon and former team owner Eddie Jordan said he wouldn’t hire Ricciardo on his current form, especially since his three-year McLaren contract was torn up after just two seasons. “I’m just worried that the end of McLaren era was really something that stood out and I couldn’t see where he’d lost it,” Jordan said on the Formula For Success podcast. “There has been nothing since then that convinces me that I would want to invest my hard-earned sponsorship cash to keep Daniel.”

‘Hate to say it’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...cfc7ef51272bd2


Five big Australian Grand Prix questions: FIA, Red Bull and a resurgent Lewis Hamilton?
20 Mar 2024 6:00 AM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Formula 1 returns this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix and a few days out from the event, we have some questions that need answering. One of the most dominant topics between Saudi Arabia and this race has been the future of Verstappen and as PlanetF1.com understands it, the Dutchman has a contract clause which could cause further tension.

Can Lewis Hamilton shine at one of his best circuits? Lewis Hamilton’s 2024 has got off to a sluggish start with a P7 and P9 putting him ninth in the Drivers’ standings, so it will be welcome news for the seven-time World Champion that the next venue is one he has historically done well at.

How will Australia’s favourite sons perform? Sorry Valtteri, but it is the home race for just two F1 drivers this weekend as Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri return to their native land – but both drivers are heading in with remarkably different feelings around them.

‘Five big questions’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/five-b...lewis-hamilton