Mercedes may look to the past to solve major W15 issue

BBC F1 commentator Harry Benjamin has suggested that Mercedes could be set to bring back an old component to fix their issues with the W15.

The Brackley-based squad have endured their worst start to a season since 2012, currently sitting fourth in the constructors’ championship with 26 points.

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In Jeddah, the team locked out the fourth row in qualifying, with both Red Bulls, McLarens, the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso going faster.

In the race, Mercedes’ biggest issue was in the high-speed corners, with data even suggesting that Alpine and Williams were faster than them.

Ultimately, the team picked up just 10 points, with George Russell finishing in fifth and Lewis Hamilton coming home in ninth.

Mercedes to revert to 'old new' floor from Bahrain

And speaking on the Chequered Flag podcast, Benjamin maintained that Mercedes have made a step forward with the W15 but it is clear what their ‘main issue’ is.

The commentator claims that the team could revert back to the floor they used during pre-season testing in Bahrain to resolve the problem for Australia.

“They have made a step up for sure since last year, but the main issue – and perhaps this is affecting Hamilton more so than Russell – is that they’re struggling for pace in high-speed corners,” he said.

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“There’s even rumours about some possible simulator correlation problems, because what they’re seeing in the sim is not happening out on track.

“I have heard that this weekend they might be trying to bring in a possible an ‘old new’ floor – basically the floor they used in testing in Bahrain.

“They then made some changes for the first race. While they’ve brought some good side effects, they’ve also brought some negatives as well.”

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