Mercedes’ Chief Technical Officer, Mike Elliott, has outlined the team’s goals and approach for the remainder of the 2023 Formula 1 season with their W14 car. Mercedes underwent a significant upgrade process during the middle part of the season and introduced a major concept change to the W14.
Elliott, who took over as Chief Technical Officer earlier in the year, discussed the team’s objectives and whether fundamental architecture changes are needed for the car’s philosophy. He explained that while significant changes are more likely to occur during the winter break, the team can still extract valuable lessons from the remaining 10 races with the W14 that can be applied to the next car.
He emphasized the importance of learning and understanding the car’s performance in various areas to make progress. Elliott mentioned that Mercedes is focused on evaluating their fundamental philosophies, processes, and data analysis techniques to improve the car’s performance.
Despite the ongoing battle for the position of the second-quickest team against Ferrari, Aston Martin, and McLaren, Elliott stressed the importance of hard work in making continuous improvements. He mentioned that the stable regulations for 2024 allow the team to maintain their development pace, and they will continue to work on the W14 while focusing on next year’s car.
Mercedes aims to fight for World Championships and sees the 2023 season as an opportunity for valuable learning that will benefit their future development efforts.
