Mercedes target return to podium in Austin

Mercedes are targeting podium finishes after 2 rather sloppy races at Suzuka and Qatar.

The Silver Arrows had a tremendous pace last time around at the Lusail circuit, slotting in behind Max Verstappen in qualifying in P2 and P3, but shot themselves in the foot with a first lap collision, which led to Lewis Hamilton DNF and George Russell having to recover from last.

“We were expecting the car to work pretty well,” commented Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin. “We’d had the Sprint race to be able to see the pace of the car, so that was definitely encouraging.”

More on this topic:

Mercedes 1-2 in Vegas, Verstappen clinches fourth world title

“The free practice pace had also been strong. We had a good indication that it was going to work well. This circuit suited our car much more than Suzuka, the previous race.”

Mercedes have struggled to find consistency in their performance with the W14 being heavily dependent on track characteristics. Therefore, it is difficult to predict where exactly will the team sit once Austin arrives.

As things stand, Mercedes are currently second in the Constructors and are trying to fend off Ferrari, who trail them by 28 points.