Mercedes’ entirely new concept for 2024 has so far delivered positive results, according to feedback received by team principal Toto Wolff.
The Silver Arrows head into the upcoming season having opted to start from scratch, with an entirely new car set to be introduced.
Their 2024 challenger – the W15 – is believed to feature things which Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both asked for, to increase their confidence in the car.
One thing Hamilton asked for several times last season was for the cockpit to be closer to the rear of the car, although it remains to be seen if the seven-time World Champion’s wish has come true.
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Wolff shared the positive news about the W15 to The Telegraph, with the Austrian having received a phone call from ex-F1 driver and Mercedes simulator driver Anthony Davidson.
According to Wolff, Davidson told him that the 2024 car “feels like a car”, something he hasn’t felt since the current aerodynamic regulations were introduced back in 2022.
Whilst Davidson’s positive feedback is music to Wolff’s ears, the Austrian is remaining cautious, given that they’ve had good initial results in the simulator the past two seasons.
Wolff is hopeful that at last, the positive results in the simulator can “correlate to the track”.
“He was driving Melbourne [in the sim],” Wolff told The Telegraph.
“And he said: ‘The car feels like a car for the first time in two years…’
“Obviously, I would love this to correlate to the track but we’ve seen in the last two years that this was not always the case.”
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The pre-season test in Bahrain next month will answer some of the questions regarding whether Mercedes has developed a good car, whilst the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix will allow people to see if the Germans have a challenger capable of winning races.
If the Silver Arrows finally have a competitive package, then Hamilton will be in a prime position to take the fight to Max Verstappen for the first time since 2021, although on this occasion the seven-time World Champion will be hoping for a significantly better outcome.
First of all, though, the 39-year-old needs to end his winless streak, which dates back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.