Mercedes W15 Chief Surprises with Verdict on Red Bull’s F1 Dominance
Mercedes W15 team head James Allison shared his thoughts on Red Bull’s current F1 dominance and surprised with his optimistic outlook. Allison describes hunting down the Red Bull team as “a lot of fun” as the team works on its new cars for the 2024 F1 season.
Mercedes, which won the Champions Cup eight times during the V6 hybrid era of F1, which started in 2014, was able to achieve only one race victory after the effective ground effect regulations came into force in 2022.
Red Bull, on the other hand, had a historic season last year, winning 21 of 22 races, allowing Max Verstappen to easily win his third consecutive World Championship.
Despite Red Bull’s current lead, Mercedes hopes to return to title contention in 2024 with the W15. Allison rejects the idea that they are disappointed with their current situation, stating that it is a form of pleasure to get the team back on the path to glory.
Allison praised the Red Bull team for sticking together in difficult times, noting that many of Verstappen’s colleagues were with Sebastian Vettel in the previous dominant period between 2010 and 2013.
“Actually, it’s a lot of fun. It’s definitely not as fun as winning, but you’ve got to love the whole sport. It involves accepting knocks when you’re not doing a good enough job,” Allison told Motorsport.com. said.
Mercedes W15 chief stated that it is something to appreciate Red Bull’s current performance and stated that they enjoy reaping the fruits of the team remaining determined throughout a process. Even in this less-than-ideal situation, Allison said it’s enjoyable to be in this position, as long as they feel confident as a team to take the right steps to position themselves as a competitive force again.
Describing the journey as a roller coaster, Allison stated that they are in a process where hopes rise, the racing gods lower them a little, and then you gather up your skirts and prepare for the next move. He expressed hope that his journey upwards would be quick and safe, but added that the process would be a lot of fun as they tried their best to give their rivals a good fight.
Despite previously saying Mercedes aims to have a shot at both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in 2024 with the W15, Allison refrained from being overly optimistic about the team’s prospects for the new season. He stated that any team would think otherwise during this period and stated that they only know what they are doing and that the real test will come when they get in the car and start driving and everyone else is with them.
