Are Mercedes' new updates working? 'Can't be just a tenth!'

Mercedes travelled to Silverstone with many updates as the team hopes to close the gap on Red Bull Racing. The new parts were clearly visible during the first free practice on the circuit.

Lots of new parts for Mercedes

"You can see the new bits," says Ted Kravitz at Sky Sports F1. "They are all around the bargeboard area. There's a section we call the venetian blinds because they look like venetian blinds. They're new." But it doesn't stop with the bargeboards. The floor has also been given a major overhaul.

"Mercedes have really downplayed it. You speak to the people in the paddock or the drivers, they said 'it's worth a tenth, tenth and a half if we're optimistic,'" Kravitz continued. But the pundit believes little of that. "There's no way it's only a tenth! They're down playing expectations. They don't want to be over promising and then under delivering."

Mercedes is almost done developing

According to Kravitz, it is an attempt to get closer to main rival Red Bull Racing. "They are on equal engine ground now, but Red Bull are quicker in the corners. Mercedes are running out of development potential with the low rake car with the new regulations," Kravitz concluded. He thinks high rake cars can still gain a lot more time with the right updates.