Mercedes expects the W12 to perform well in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton is aiming for a hat-trick of victories.
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, believes the W12 will suit the Jeddah Corniche Circuit’s characteristics, where Lewis Hamilton will attempt to win a third consecutive race.
Hamilton has closed the gap on Red Bull rival Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship to eight points after winning the last two races in Brazil and Qatar.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which takes place next weekend, will be another new event and site for Formula 1, with a high-speed layout through the city of Jeddah in store for the drivers.
The street track will be the second-fastest track on the F1 schedule this year, with an average speed of more than 250km/h.
“It’s another unknown,” Shovlin told media. “We’ve seen pretty big swings of performance over the recent races.
“Now, if we look at the track in Saudi, I think it should suit us. For Lewis, we have got the more powerful engine to go in the car, so that’s going to give him a useful boost.
“The track should suit the car, but we would have probably said that in Austin; we would have felt that we should be able to put together a decent setup and take the fight to Red Bull, and they had a bit of an edge there.
“So we’re always cautious to go to a race thinking that it’s all going to go our way.”
Mercedes focusing on themselves
In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes and Red Bull are locked in a five-point duel.
In order to get the most out of the car in the next two Grands Prix, the team wants to keep the spotlight on themselves rather than on Red Bull.
“What we do know are the things that we’ve got to get right on the setup, what we need to get right on the tyres, and how they’re working, and that’s what we’re going to be busy doing over the next few days,” continued Shovlin.
“[We will] just try to make sure we have taken every possible opportunity to arrive there in good shape. With a new circuit, arriving in good shape is such a big thing.
“From the learning curve, if you’ve got a good car to start with, you can just improve it from there.”
Several masks inspired by Formula One racing drivers are currently available at the following websites for a reasonable price:
