Mercedes technical director James Allison says it will be “doubly important” for teams to start next year with a strong car before focus switches to the incoming 2026 Formula 1 regulations.
Mercedes is hoping to take a step forward in 2024 after a season in which the team has struggled to find a good operating window to get the best out of the W14.
But while Mercedes, like others, is throwing everything behind next year’s design – that the team say will carry a different concept – it also has one eye on the 2026 rule changes revolving around the engines and active aero.
Allison suspects teams will spare resources for the rules reset by carrying over their 2024 designs into 2025, putting greater significance on starting next year in a strong position.
Asked if Lewis Hamilton was right to say that Mercedes needed the best six months of development to be in title contention next year, Allison said, as quoted by Motorsport.com: “It’ll be a different car for one thing. So, we won’t be working with this one.
“[Lewis] is correct in two senses: it’s a new season; it’s important that we get off the new season on the front foot.
“But more than averagely so because with 2026 bearing down on us, that car will need to be engineered in 2025.
“It’s highly likely that the 2025 cars can be close cousins of the 2024 cars. So doubly important to get the 2024 car good.”
Allison believes driver feedback after the first laps in pre-season testing will give Mercedes a clear indication if it has a package capable of challenging for the world championship.
“Over the years, most of the good cars that I’ve been lucky enough to be around while they’ve happened, the driver gets in and doesn’t exactly say, ‘Spend your bonus’, but they more or less do,” Allison said.
“Unlocking potential is not really something that takes very long if the car is well born. And that will be the aim of this one.
He added: “It’s not particular to us but it does sharpen your focus, wanting to make sure that we have a car that gives us a good run in to 2026 as well as good championships and the fun that that brings.”
