Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says the team has adopted the approach it took in the wake of its Singapore slump in 2015 in order to improve it performance, off the back of its showing at the previous event in Monaco.
Mercedes dominated Formula 1 from 2014-16, but endured a lack of pace around the streets of Marina Bay in 2015, failing to finish on the podium.
Mercedes responded to its low-key performance by winning the remaining six races in 2015, and had finished on the podium at each race since, aside from last year’s Spanish Grand Prix, when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided on the opening lap.
That run of podiums came to an end in Monaco, with Valtteri Bottas being beaten to third by Daniel Ricciardo, while Hamilton was only seventh, as Ferrari dominated to take its first 1-2 in seven years.
Wolff says Mercedes has invoked the spirit of its post-Singapore 2015 analysis in a bid to recapture its form this year.
“We have to fight with all that we are worth for every single win, pole position, podium finish and every point,” he said.
“You can no longer expect that when you look at a timesheet the two Mercedes will be right at the top.
“Everybody at the factories is working absolutely flat out to assess the current difficulties we are facing – to define our objectives, work with the data we have and then come up with the right solutions.
“Some of these fixes will be short term, others may take longer. We've had bruising weekends before and it's about showing resilience and getting up after falling.
“I remember the troubles we had in Singapore in 2015, which hurt badly. We gave ourselves a deadline to address that setback before switching our focus to the next race in Suzuka, which we won.
“We've done exactly the same thing after Monaco – addressing the problems before turning our attention to Montréal. We know that this season is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Wolff is nonetheless expecting a “tricky race” for Mercedes in Canada, but is boosted by the past form of Hamilton and Bottas at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
"I'm expecting an interesting weekend in Canada; it could be a tricky race for us in terms of the layout of the track,” he commented.
“But, equally, it's a circuit that suits both of our drivers. Lewis has won a number of times in the past and Valtteri has always gone strongly there for Williams.
“It will be about doing our homework right to give the drivers the car they need to succeed.”
Discussion about this post