Amid Red Bull Accusations, James Allison Downplays the Front Wing Effect in Mercedes’ Revamped Pace

Mercedes is entering defensive mode as Red Bull continues its quest for justice. After the Milton Keynes outfit questioned the legality of the Silver Arrows’ latest front-wing upgrade in Canada, Helmut Marko doubled down on the unofficial complaint with a lengthy explanation. Red Bull has even raised concerns over Ferrari and McLaren’s front wings ahead of the Spanish GP. As the discussions about this topic increased multifold, Mercedes’ Technical Director James Allison attempted to shift the focus away from their revolutionary upgrade.

Toto Wolff’s prayers have finally been heard and the technical team’s efforts have paid off. In Canada, for the first time in over two years, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were at ease driving their car, barring their personal errors. Their new ‘bendy’ front wing took all the credit for this improved performance. However, witnessing such a leap in pace for their rivals, Red Bull lodged an unofficial complaint with the FIA. As per Helmut Marko, the Brackley outfit passed the FIA tests pre-race but will have to undergo the same in Spain.

“I wouldn’t get too hung up on, focused on the front wing,” Allison said on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast. The British engineer then diverted focus on how their entire upgrade package, instead of just the front wing, should be noticed. “The front wing is part of an overall package but the behavior that we’ve managed to embed into the car over the last two or three races, of which the front wing is a component, has helped get us a bit more on terms with people that are doing a decent job,” he concluded.

Mercedes’ jump to the front indicates a 4-way battle for podiums here-on, making F1 more exciting than ever. However, Allison doesn’t expect the new upgrades to sustain performance on the traditional European circuits to come.

Mercedes might lose Canadian GP advantage in Spain, explains James Allison

According to Ralf Schumacher and many other F1 experts, Red Bull’s RB20 will shine in all its glory at the Spanish GP. Still, with Sergio Perez in a rut, the other two podium places will be up for contention. But Mercedes won’t most likely be one of those teams. The track’s hotter asphalt and wider cornering speeds could be a dampener for the W15, per James Allison.

“The changes we have made are making this car a better car,” the technical boss told Sky Sports, adding, “And that will be true at every circuit we go to. The characteristics of Montreal make it look a little quicker than we have a natural right to command at the coming races. In Barcelona, I think it is more likely that we will be competitive, but not right at the front. Because the next tracks are a little bit of a sterner test of a car.”

Adding to Mercedes’ challenges would be McLaren. The men in Papaya Orange will be bringing a floor upgrade to their MCL38 in Spain. But judging by Lewis Hamilton’s pace in Canada, the 7-time champion’s 104th F1 victory could be on the horizon if Red Bull falters. And Allison will hope his prediction comes wrong.

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