Mercedes seems to be struggling with high temperatures: here’s the stat that’s causing concern.
In Spain, Kimi Antonelli saw his second retirement in just three races due to a power unit issue. And what’s alarming the Brackley team is a clear temperature-related trend: the colder the climate, the better the results for Russell and Antonelli.
On the flip side, the hotter the asphalt, the more the Mercedes W16 struggles to deliver strong performances. But let’s take a closer look at the events…
THE ANALYSIS – Are temperatures a real problem for Mercedes?
During qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes was the second fastest team on the straights, with an average top speed of 329 km/h.
So, the engine doesn’t seem to be lacking in top-speed performance.
Specifically, the straight-line speed ranking is as follows:
- Kick Sauber – 329.5
- Mercedes – 329.0
- Williams – 329.0
- McLaren – 327.5
- Ferrari – 327.0
- Alpine – 327.0
- Haas – 327.0
- Red Bull – 325.5
- Aston Martin – 325.5
- Racing Bulls – 324.0
But the most worrying stat is another one. As mentioned, when looking at race-by-race data, the hotter the track surface, the worse Mercedes performs.
In detail:
<28°C – Average position: 4.50 • 28°C to 42°C – Average position: 5.25.>.>42°C – Average position: 12.83
Adding to the concern: two retirements in the last three races due to engine problems.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
