During an appearance on the F1 Nation podcast with Tom Clarkson and Damon Hill, Mercedes’ Technical Director James Allison discussed the potential impact of the new floor Mercedes is introducing at the USGP.
“It should be good at any circuit for the remainder of the year. It’s not a game changer, but it’s expected to provide around a tenth of a second,” Allison explained. “It aligns with our goals for generating downforce in the right areas while minimizing the negative effects on car stability when chasing higher downforce.”
The discussion then turned to whether the new floor could give Mercedes an edge over McLaren, which has been performing strongly in the latter part of the season.
“In Qatar, we were pretty much on par with McLaren, not faster or slower,” Allison stated. “We finished ahead of them, and in ordinary circumstances, they might have outqualified us if they hadn’t encountered track limits issues with one car.”
“In terms of performance, it’s a close battle with McLaren,” he continued. “At tracks like Suzuka, they have the upper hand, but at slower circuits, we might have some advantages. Hopefully, the new floor we’re introducing at the next race in Austin can help level the playing field for the upcoming races.”
Allison was then asked about Mercedes’ design direction for next season and their confidence in it.
“We are quite optimistic that we’ve identified the issues that have been affecting our performance. So, we’re fairly confident about the direction we need to take for next season,” Allison explained.
“However, the real challenge is not just knowing the direction but accelerating our development to catch up with a dominant Red Bull and potentially overtake them. That’s what makes this part of the season so exciting – it’s not just about knowing, it’s about executing that plan quickly over the coming months.”
