Allison: "We hope to bring upgrades right away to Austria"

Normally Formula 1 teams arrive with upgrades during the season. Because of the big break Mercedes hopes to take the first upgrades to Austria right away.

During the winter test it looked like Mercedes would already be the team to beat in the coming season, but Red Bull Racing also looked competitive. The figures during the winter test can be misleading, but Mercedes will do its utmost to be at its best during the first Grand Prix.

The factories of the teams have been closed for a time by order of the FIA, but before and after the closure Mercedes has been working hard. "Before the closure we had a lot of ideas on how to make the car faster and some of those ideas were already under development," says James Allison on the social media channels of Petronas.

"The challenge for us is to make sure that the upgrades we've made get from the drawing board to the car as quickly as possible. We hope to have the first part of that in Austria. Then, of course, we will bring several upgrades to the car as soon as we can".

Emotionally troublesome

While the teams had to sit on their hands for nine weeks, the drivers needed a lot more patience. According to Allison they will have it harder than the teams themselves. "It will have been mentally very hard for them, that long waiting. For the drivers, all the peaks and troughs will be emotionally amplified".

"I think it was very difficult for the drivers to get ready for the season and then just before the start it is taken away from you. It will be a sign of resilience and competitiveness to see them work hard again when they have to. I have no doubt that Lewis and Valtteri are ready in Austria", concludes the technical director of Mercedes.