Mercedes F1 not sitting nonetheless after latest sizzling streak

The most well liked Formulation 1 staff in the intervening time?

Mercedes.

After a gradual begin to the 2024 season, the Silver Arrows have definitely picked up the tempo. A collection of upgrades the staff began to roll out on the Miami Grand Prix have began paying off, resulting in back-to-back victories for the staff. George Russell took residence the Austrian Grand Prix for the staff’s first victory of the 2024 season, and whereas that win got here partially because of an incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris that knocked each drivers out of competition for the victory, Lewis Hamilton’s. win final Sunday on the British Grand Prix got here largely on the tempo of the W15.

The primary signal of a breakthrough got here on the Canadian Grand Prix when Russell captured pole place to begin up entrance in Montreal. Whereas that solely translated to a P3 end — and the staff’s first Grand Prix podium of the yr — it was an indication of larger issues to return.

And since that race, no staff has been hotter than the Silver Arrows. Mercedes has outscored their three rivals atop the F1 Constructors’ standings over the previous 4 race weekends, permitting them to creep again into the combination on the sharp finish of the grid:

As you possibly can see from this graphic courtesy of Formulation 1 Factors, Mercedes has put themselves again within the dialogue on the high of the desk:

However they aren’t carried out.

Mercedes Crew Principal Toto Wolff confirmed following the British Grand Prix that extra upgrades are coming to the W15 within the weeks forward.

“There’s extra to return when it comes to efficiency,” stated Wolff following Hamilton’s win. “We’re bringing updates to Budapest and Spa.”

The Hungaroring supplied one of many staff’s excessive factors a season in the past, as an identical collection of upgrades to the W14 culminated in Hamilton capturing pole place for the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. Whereas Mercedes solely noticed a P4/P6 end within the race itself, Hamilton’s pole place confirmed a stage of enchancment within the W14 the staff was in search of all through 2023.

Now, with the staff rolling into the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix on extra of a sizzling streak, maybe larger issues are doable subsequent week.

“When you think about that 5 races in the past we weren’t even a contender for the rostrum, which regarded just like the third yr of non-performance, then it clicked,” added Wolff at Silverstone.

“Abruptly every thing that didn’t make sense made sense. And the outcomes of the event instructions are again like within the outdated days. We’re discovering efficiency, we’re placing it on the automotive, and it interprets into lap time.

“That wasn’t the case for the final two years. We couldn’t give the drivers a automotive that enabled them to go for the victories.

“And to make Lewis win the British Grand Prix once more in his final race for Mercedes right here is sort of like a little bit fairytale, we couldn’t have scripted it higher.”

Will that script proceed in Hungary?