Mercedes remain innovative with W15: 'Plenty to work on in that area!'

Mercedes technical director James Allison believes there is areas where gains can be made. The 2024 season is just around the corner. This will now be the third season in which the cars use ground effect. Since 2022, Red Bull Racing have been by far the strongest on the grid, but Allison sees potential.

"I think most teams are going down the same path, but that doesn't mean there is no more room for innovation," he explained to Motorsport.com. "It's no secret that the cars have the most performance when they are close to the ground, but you can't get too close to the ground."

Allison: 'Still plenty of action in that area'

Allison explains that it is a search for an option where the car can go as low as possible over the tarmac. "It does have to stay within the rules of wearing down the 'skid blocks'. Adjusting it [low] also ensures the most downforce the car can produce. There is still plenty to work on in this area," the Briton explained.

The weekend of 2 March will see the first Grand Prix of the new season. It will then become clear for the first time which cars will be very competitive in the new season, and which will be a little less so. The dates that the F1 cars will be announced can be found here. Red Bull will launch the car on 15 February, and Mercedes will do so one day earlier on 14 February.