Mercedes investigating ‘fundamental problem’ with W15 after Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

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Mercedes are reportedly looking into a possible design issue on the W15 after their Saudi Arabian Grand Prix struggles.

The Silver Arrows only picked up 10 points from the race in Jeddah as George Russell finished sixth and Lewis Hamilton came home ninth.

And journalist Kemal Sengull says work is underway to understand the root cause of their issues.

Mercedes, who finished second behind Red Bull in last year’s standings, are fourth in the constructors’ championship after two rounds.

They’ve taken only 26 points from the first couple of races, which is their lowest return at this stage since 2012.

McLaren are currently two points ahead, while Ferrari have nearly twice as many points (49) and leaders Red Bull have already amassed 87.

During Saturday’s race, Hamilton commented on the ‘impressive’ speed of McLaren driver Lando Norris through the high-speed sector one.

Hamilton was chasing Norris for eighth in the closing stages but frequently lost multiple tenths before the DRS sections further round the lap.

Mercedes looking into W15 issue

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Sengull said ‘all research’ at Brackley is currently focused on a potential design error with the new car.

It appears that a simple ‘settings’ tweak won’t address their performance deficit in the high speed.

“Mercedes suspects a “fundamental problem” affecting the car’s performance in high-speed corners after the Saudi Arabia race,” he wrote.

“There is a possibility that this is a design issue rather than a settings issue. Currently, all research is focused on this.”

Toto Wolff tries to lure Max Verstappen

Mercedes are on the hunt for a new driver for 2025 after learning last month that Hamilton would be joining rivals Ferrari.

Team principal Toto Wolff appears to be dreaming of hiring reigning world champion Max Verstappen, but he conceded before the race in Saudi Arabia that the Dutchman currently has ‘no reason’ to leave Red Bull.

If they’re to have any hope of landing the 100-time podium finisher, they’ll need to demonstrate they can provide race-winning machinery.

And it currently appears that they’ve taken a backwards step from the 2023 season.

Mercedes haven’t tasted victory since the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz the only man to prevent a Red Bull monopoly last year.