Mercedes has made it clear that it is preparing to introduce upgrades to the W15 car in the upcoming Formula 1 rounds in a further attempt to improve the pace.
The Brackley-based team has struggled for performance this year as it continues to compete off the top under the current set of technical regulations.
Ground-effect cars have seen Mercedes slip down the pecking order since their introduction in 2022, with the team winning just one race in that time, after being a championship force from 2014 to 2021.
Mercedes made further improvements to the Imola circuit last season, giving it a “nice step forward”, according to technical director Andrew Shovlin.
The British engineer stressed that his efforts at the factory did not diminish amid the period of adversity that he was experiencing on the right track.
“It was definitely a boost,” Allison said.
“The factory is really at war right now, and the reason why the upgrade package originally came in two parts is because [across Miami and Imola]. It was scheduled to arrive in one slab.
“But we did what we could to get it a little faster. It was a big old push, and our challenge now is to keep that momentum coming.”
Monaco, Canada Upgrades
Mercedes' best result of the season came at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, where George Russell crossed the line in fifth place.
As she strives to make gains towards the front of the grid, she will bring new parts to Monaco this weekend, as well as the next round from Canada.
“We have some additional parts for the car, aerodynamics and other parts that will arrive in Monaco, again in Canada and again in the next races,” he said.
“We will continue to return assets to the factory who find enough time to design them, build them, put them in the car and hopefully make our way to the top of the grid.
“We are now a few tenths of a second closer to the front than we were at the beginning of the year, and at Imola itself, we were a tenth or two closer to the front. We are very happy about that.”
