Mercedes will undergo an "enormous" amount of work ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix as they look to keep pace with Ferrari and Red Bull. The Brackley-based team have kept themselves in the World Championship fight with a string of impressive results, despite their car being much slower than their direct rivals. Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have stood on the podium during the early rounds, with Russell now second in the Drivers' Championship standings, behind Charles Leclerc. But there is still plenty for the reliable Mercedes to do before they can challenge for race wins, the team have wholeheartedly admitted. "I think often people see the race team on TV and think that's the entire team. It's not. We are fortunate to have a base in Brackley, and in Brixworth, with hundreds of people working every hour they possibly can to make this racing car fast, competitive and a championship winner," Mercedes' Chief Strategist, James Vowles, explained. "The work that goes on between races is enormous. There is a turnaround of components, there are upgrades, there is an understanding of problems that we have and how do we move the performance forward both on the PU side and also on the chassis side."
Mercedes expecting competitors to 'evolve'
After races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia, F1 will now return to Europe for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, held at Italy's famous Imola circuit. The first European event of the season promises to see several teams bring upgrades as the race to stay ahead intensifies. Vowles has made clear that for Mercedes it will be no different, with the team looking to ensure Ferrari and Red Bull do not extend their gap at the front. And there will be big points up for grabs to the team that get their first upgrades of the season right, with Imola chosen as one of three Sprint events on the 2022 calendar. Vowles continued: "I suspect you will see an evolution of our competitors. We need to make sure we, at the very minimum, keep up with that. "So, the work that takes place now is a review of what has happened in Melbourne and an understanding of what we need to do going forward into Imola, and progress the car into a championship winner."
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