Mike Elliott, Mercedes' chief technical officer, has cautiously looked ahead to the Miami Grand Prix. In a race debrief on Mercedes' YouTube channel, Elliott compares Miami's characteristics to other tracks that have passed by this year and tempers expectations somewhat.
Mercedes' results have been somewhat mixed this season. While the team is safely at the forefront and has very little to fear from the bottom half of the field, Mercedes is also nowhere near challenging Red Bull for wins. The competitiveness against rivals Ferrari and Aston Martin changes every weekend. So the question is how well the German team will fare at the Miami circuit.
Elliott cautious with predictions Miami
"I think that is always a really difficult question to answer," Elliott explains. "When you look at our cars they are actually fairly close in terms of performance. In Melbourne, we looked probably a bit quicker than Aston Martin and Ferrari. In Baku, we looked a little bit slower. In terms of the circuit layout, I’d say Miami is a bit more like Melbourne. You might think: ‘Okay, that’s good for us’ and it is good for us. But like Baku, Miami has also been resurfaced. So, in some ways, we will just have to wait and see."
For Mercedes, the Miami Grand Prix will in many ways be a matter of survival. Indeed, one race later, in Imola, comes a whole package of upgrades designed by returning technical chief James Allison. However, team boss Toto Wolff did stress that it does not immediately mean Mercedes will walk away with the win.