Formula 1’s Director of Motorsports Ross Brawn says he expects Mercedes to “fight back hard” in the wake of its disastrous Austrian Grand Prix.
Mercedes introduced a chassis update to complement the Phase 2.1 engine upgrade introduced in France and controlled the early stages of the race, having locked out the front row of the grid.
But Mercedes’ race unravelled when Valtteri Bottas suffered a loss of hydraulic pressure, with the resultant Virtual Safety Car catching out the team, as it kept Lewis Hamilton out on track.
Hamilton thus slipped to fourth position but was unable to reach the chequered flag after a fuel pressure problem halted his W09.
It marked Mercedes’ first double mechanical failure in race trim since the team returned to Formula 1 in 2010, as it relinquished the lead of the Constructors’ Championship to Ferrari.
Brawn guided Mercedes’ comeback into the sport from 2010 through 2013, having been at the Brackley-based operation since 2007, when was owned by Honda, and expects the team to hit back.
“What should have been an opportunity to pull away from Ferrari and from Sebastian ended up with them being overtaken by Ferrari and the German in both championship battles,” said Brawn
“However, after a difficult time in Canada, Mercedes has shown that it has taken a definite step forward in terms of outright performance thanks to the introduction of significant developments on the engine and chassis side.
“In France the PU upgrade delivered the goods, but in Austria, the delivery faltered.
“However, I’m sure that in Silverstone, where Hamilton will get a further boost from racing in front of his home crowd, the team will fight back hard.”
Mercedes has not been beaten at the British Grand Prix since 2012, with Nico Rosberg’s victory in 2013 followed by four straight wins for Hamilton.
