Mercedes explain unusual F1 upgrade strategy as day of reckoning looms

Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta has laid out the thinking behind the team's contrarian development approach, which is geared towards the second half of the F1 season.

The Italian engineer highlighted how the team produced a strong launch car, which has been supplemented with incremental updates and one larger step, before its planned upgrade push after the summer shutdown.

While Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull introduced significant packages earlier in the campaign, Mercedes pursued a more measured programme with the W17.

The Brackley-based team arrived in Melbourne with a strong baseline, added smaller updates across the opening phase of the year and saved its first major in-season package for Canada.

Team principal Toto Wolff framed that approach as a deliberate strategy, which has proven to be a departure from convention.

"We've tried to have it a little bit more second half of the season weighted," Wolff said. "And we'll see if that is enough."

Resta expanded on the Mercedes boss' remarks at the Hungarian Grand Prix, explaining that Mercedes has carefully paced its updates in a season where rivals have repeatedly brought visible changes to their cars, including Ferrari, which appears to have front-loaded its development more considerably than others.

"Ultimately, I think we tried to have strong development for the first race from the winter test," Resta told media, including RacingNews365. "Then we have had, at almost every race, a little step here and there, and then another big step in Canada."

Mercedes' Montreal package included a revised front wing, endplates, corner assemblies and floor elements, and helped the team stave off its fast-charging rivals, with the Silver Arrows maintaining its healthy early-season points advantage.

Mercedes leads the constructors' championship, but Ferrari has prevented the gap from growing materially from the 70 points it was after the Miami Grand Prix, four rounds into the campaign; with the deficit now at 72. 

With larger upgrades planned for after the summer shutdown, Mercedes' break from the norm will finally face scrutiny.

"Probably, after the shutdown, we will try to focus on having something more sizeable on the car," Resta added.

"We are clearly focused on trying to develop the car at every event, but also trying to think bigger by bringing another step to the car."