Mercedes Eyes Competitive Edge Following Singapore GP Win
Mercedes has regained momentum following George Russell’s victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, marking his second win of the 2023 season. The team’s ongoing focus on tire management appears to be yielding results, particularly important given their historical struggles in warmer conditions under current technical regulations.
Russell’s dominant performance—culminating in a pole position and a race win—demonstrates a notable improvement in tire performance on a street circuit notorious for tire overheating. Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, emphasized the team’s efforts to enhance rear tire preservation, particularly at demanding tracks.
“We have been doing a lot of work on looking after the rear tires… Looking at last year, we did struggle in the race,” Shovlin commented. He noted the Singapore circuit’s high traction and hot conditions and expressed optimism about carrying this progress forward.
However, Shovlin cautioned against overestimating Mercedes’ potential at the upcoming Circuit of the Americas (COTA), pointing out the team’s previous successes on lower-speed tracks like Montreal and Singapore. “What we haven’t had so much of… is the high-speed cornering content, and that’s perhaps an area where we’ve struggled,” he said.
As the team prepares for varied circuits in the final six races of the season, Shovlin concluded, “It was encouraging to see that the car can still win races… We’re definitely not going to give up the fight.”
