Mercedes has divulged that it will be bringing updates to this weekend’s Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix as the team tries to build on a morale-boosting win in Canada.
The German marque became the latest team to earn a victory in 2025 as George Russell triumphed in Montreal, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli made it a double podium.
A promising start to the season – which contained four top-three finishes in six rounds – was threatening to peter out as Mercedes endured a tumultuous triple-header.
But having claimed a second successive pole position around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Russell controlled proceedings, with his team-mate backing him up in third.
Russell remaining untroubled in the race emerged as a surprise based on how vulnerable Mercedes had been to a dip in competitiveness in hotter track temperatures.
Mercedes has explained that drawing on the lessons that it obtained during the brutal run that preceded Canada helped the team to place the W16 in a better window.
“We had very little degradation and we were able to extend the runs and on a good pace,” Mercedes Deputy Technical Director Simone Resta elucidated.
“I think that every track has got different characteristic requirements, you’ve got different energy into the tyres, you’ve got different tarmac, so you’ve got a combination of multiple variables and in those conditions our car adapted well and we’ve seen already that in some other tracks, like for example Bahrain or Spain, we were able to work on the set-up and improve the performance.
“We struggled a little bit more in Imola, for example, but in those conditions, I think with the learning of the races before, we were able to put the car in a good spot.”
Mercedes has made ‘a step’ with W16 car
Resta recognised that reintroducing the modified rear suspension that had been shelved, alongside more new parts, also held a role in Mercedes’ breakthrough result.
“First of all we brought to Canada a development on the floor and also on the front brake,” the Italian engineer highlighted.
“Also, we tested again on Friday a rear suspension that was tested before in Imola and then we confirmed it on Friday and we raced it on Saturday and Sunday.
“I think every race we try to bring something and there are incremental steps, so they’re not game changers and they always help, but I think that our car was particularly well suited to this condition and also we worked quite a lot on the set-up and the approach to the drivers and I think we made a step with the car overall.”
Mercedes has more upgrades in the pipeline
As Mercedes strives to ensure that Canada avoids being another false dawn, Resta revealed that the team plans to introduce more developments at the Red Bull Ring.
“I would sign everywhere to repeat it, but I’m sure it’s going to be that easy and clearly we learned a lot from the start of the season in those conditions,” he added.
“Like I mentioned, we learned some characteristics in Imola, in Spain and I think we’ll be building step by step let’s say our understanding going into Austria.
“Of course, we’ve got also new parts coming onto the car in those races that they will always help in improving the performance, so let’s see what we can get in Austria.”
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