Mercedes set to introduce 'visible upgrades' in the coming races
Explaining Mercedes' plans for the coming race, technical director James Allison claimed the Brackley-based outfit will introduce new parts to its W16 in the coming races.
Although Mercedes displayed encouraging one-lap pace in both the sprint and the main qualifying session at last weekend's Miami Grand Prix, the Brackley-based outfit struggled for race pace on Sunday.
Coming off the back of sensational performances both in the sprint and the main qualifying, Mercedes struggled for race pace in the 57-lap Miami race.
Although Andrea Kimi Antonelli was running in second early on, he was powerless to hold the faster McLarens at bay. The Italian then lost time during a slow pit stop before he lost further race time compared to his team-mate George Russell, who could shorten the duration of his own pit stop thanks to a virtual safety car interruption. Antonelli ended up sixth behind the Williams of Alexander Albon.
Russell looked to struggle for grip during the opening stint on the hards, but he benefitted from a cheap stop during the VSC. The Briton rejoined the track just ahead of Verstappen, and managed to stay in front of the Dutchman to pick up yet another podium.
Following the first quarter of the season, Mercedes currently find themselves second in the teams' standings, having completed their best start to the season since the introduction of the ground-effect cars. In the drivers' championship, Russell is fourth, having failed to finish lower than fifth so far in 2025.
The German-British team has now announced that there will be clearly visible upgrades to the car in the next races, hoping that further upgrades can propel the car forward.
Explaining Mercedes' plans for the coming race, technical director James Allison claimed the Brackley-based outfit will introduce new parts to its W16 in the coming races.
"We've already introduced a few upgrades. They're not particularly extensive or spectacular, but they come at regular intervals. Some of these will be more clearly visible to outsiders in the next races. Hopefully, they will improve our results."
The first quarter of the season has been an intense period, with teams having completed six races within just six races. The condensed nature of the schedule and the long distances between the venues have made it challenging for teams to bring any upgrades to their cars.
"We're already a quarter through the season. It's been a tough and fast time for all the teams. It's quite difficult to get upgrades for the car when the races are so close together."
The team is pinning its hopes on the new parts, with Allison suggesting that Mercedes are eager to address its tyre management in hot races with the new parts.
"Hopefully, the upgrades coming in the next two or three races will take us a step further. We will continue to work on improving tire temperatures in the races, which will also improve our chances."
