Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is fully aware that a “magic bullet” won’t come along and solve the Germans’ problems, with the side set to introduce a series of upgrades over the coming races.
Wolff confirmed earlier in the season that a new concept of the W14 would be introduced in Europe, with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix being the reported due date.
Whilst the team have struggled for outright pace and performance this season, they looked strong at the recent Australian Grand Prix, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton having qualified second and third.
With Hamilton having gone on to finish second in the race, the Briton proved that actually the W14 can perform to a good standard, when the track and conditions suit it.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
With almost a month having passed since the most recent round, Wolff is hopeful that more “small steps” can be made in Baku, with the support of some exciting upgrades.
“We’ve had a few weeks off from racing but both factories have been hard at work,” Wolff said.
“We’ve tried to maximise this period, bringing planned development to the car and extracting as much as possible from our learnings so far.
“Australia showed that we are making progress, although we need to be cautious about reading too much into a single result. But the signs in Melbourne were still encouraging and that has been a good motivator for the whole team heading into this gap in the calendar.
“Over the next races, we want to keep on making small steps forward. The car will continue to evolve in the coming weeks, as we steadily bring performance and upgrades to the track. We’re excited to see their impact, but we know there is no magic bullet.”
Wolff is excited for F1’s return this weekend with the championship. suddenly becoming incredibly busy, with five races in the space of six weeks.
READ: Lewis Hamilton makes worrying Max Verstappen prediction
After having a few weeks off, Azerbaijan is certainly a challenging venue to get back into the swing of things, with the Mercedes boss being aware that “there’s no room for error”.
“After just under a month with no F1 action, everyone’s eager to be back out on track,” Wolff said. “Thankfully we’ve got plenty of that coming up. It’s a busy window in the calendar with five races in six weekends, starting with Azerbaijan.
“The racing in Baku is always dramatic and entertaining. It’s a challenging track with the walls close, so there’s no room for error.”