Mercedes is second in the constructors’ championship, but the results do not reveal the whole picture. With 3 races completed, it is certainly surprising to not hear the German national anthem played on the podium. Charles Leclerc and Ferrari tick every box in terms of reliability and pace, while Mercedes are struggling with speed and porpoising issues.

James Vowles, the chief strategist for Mercedes, revealed the team is working hard to improve the car. He also admits that Ferrari and Red Bull will advance as the season progresses.

James Vowles says Mercedes is working hard to compete with Ferrari

The results of the first three races will satisfy Mercedes, but Toto Wolff and co know they will need to improve quickly. So far, Red Bull’s loss has been Mercedes’ gain. However, that might not be the case in the coming weeks. The Silver Arrows have dominated most of the turbo-hybrid era, but the new era has not been kind to them.

Chief Strategist James Vowles stated the team is trying hard to resolve the issues ahead of the race in Imola. He said, “Often people see the race team on the TV and think that’s the entire team. It’s not. We’re 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.”

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“The work that goes on between races is enormous. There’s turn around of components, there’s upgrades, there’s understanding of problems that we have and how do we move the performance forward,” explained the Englishman.

However, Ferrari and Red Bull will also have upgrades lined up. The Prancing Horse has perfect balance to the car, while Red Bull has looked faster on the straights amid reliability issues. Hence, Vowles hopes they can match the two teams in the upcoming races.

He added, “I suspect you will see an evolution of our competitors and we need to make sure we, at the very minimum, keep up with that. We are now looking at what happened in Melbourne, and what we can do for Imola.”

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With upgrades in place for the upcoming races, where will Mercedes finish in the standings? Leave your predictions in the comments below.