Mercedes: 'We are now nipping at the heels of Red Bull and Ferrari'

According to Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes has taken a step in the right direction with the new updates at Silverstone. The progress of the W13 was limited for some time, but now the team seems to understand the regulations better.

At the Austrian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell looked set to compete for pole, but both drivers crashed into the wall. Although the Mercedes drivers were unable to keep pace with Red Bull and Ferrari in the race, the team is positive about its developments.

"In qualifying in Austria, we were actually looking as the most competitive we’ve been in any of the races so far. The pace there was quite encouraging, race pace was not so strong, but for us, early on in the year, we were very much racing in the midfield, qualifying in the midfield to get where we have. We’ve shown good development. The most encouraging thing for us is that we’re understanding how to develop within these regulations, and the update we brought in Silverstone delivered what we expected", Shovlin tells the GoF1 Show.

Mercedes slowly come back

Mercedes had to watch Red Bull and Ferrari pull away in the race for a long time, but Shovlin always believed in the team. "I've always thought we can win races this season and that's very much the mindset of the team. The development rate is the thing that everyone says is the key to success in F1."

"We are now sort of nipping at the heels of Red Bull and Ferrari in some of the recent races. Over time that should see us catch up", ends the Mercedes technical director. Toto Wolff has already hinted at new updates ahead of the French Grand Prix. Mercedes is expected to be strong at the Paul Ricard circuit.