Mercedes’ 2024 Season: The search for lost dominance continues

Mercedes entered the 2024 Formula 1 season determined to reclaim their former dominance but instead found themselves battling familiar challenges.

While the W15 delivered glimpses of promise, it ultimately left the Brackley squad short of their ambitions and far from title contention.

Lewis Hamilton’s farewell season with the team was as much a tribute to his resilience as it was a reminder of Mercedes’ enduring struggles to adapt to the sport’s post-2021 ground-effect regulations.

The season’s initial phase was, to put it mildly, a bit of a head-scratcher. The W15, rather than representing a step forward, seemed to inherit the worst traits of its predecessors. The car suffered from a peculiar handling imbalance: “the slower you go, the less the car wants to turn,” as Lewis Hamilton succinctly put it, transforming into a nervous beast in high-speed corners.

This frustrating characteristic left the team playing catch-up from the get-go, a position no one at Brackley was particularly thrilled about.

The early races highlighted this regression, culminating in a disastrous double DNF in Australia – a low point indeed. While there were flickers of hope, like Hamilton’s second place in the China Sprint event (despite Russell being knocked out of SQ2, ouch!), these moments were often followed by disappointing results in the main races.

As rivals McLaren and Ferrari surged ahead, Mercedes struggled to match their pace. Podiums were elusive in the first part of the season, and it wasn’t until Montreal – where Mercedes introduced a new front wing - that the team returned to the rostrum, with George Russell securing a hard-fought third place.

This was followed by Hamilton’s podium in Barcelona, a sign that the car, when in the right window, could still deliver. Austria saw Russell capitalize on late-race drama to take Mercedes’ first win since Brazil 2022, a victory that felt like a lifeline after a difficult start to the year.

Then came the double victories for Hamilton, first at Silverstone and then at Spa following Russell’s post-race disqualification. But the young Briton was eventually rewarded for his efforts with a Royal Flush in Las Vegas.

Despite these high points, Mercedes couldn’t maintain momentum. Ferrari and McLaren consistently outdeveloped them, while Red Bull remained anchored to the top-three.

Late-season upgrades failed to close the gap, and the W15’s persistent inconsistencies left the team fourth in F1’s Constructors’ Championship.

Hamilton's final races were a microcosm of the season: flashes of brilliance tempered by setbacks. A stirring recovery drive to fourth in Abu Dhabi, complete with celebratory doughnuts, was a fitting farewell for the seven-time champion after 246 races with Mercedes.

In a year of peaks and valleys, Mercedes found themselves far from the title fight but not without hope. As the team bids farewell to an F1 legend, they know the road ahead demands more than just incremental gains. For now, the W15 stands as both a lesson and a promise of unfinished business.

What's in store for 2025?

Mercedes enters the 2025 F1 season at a crossroads, eager to rebound from a mixed and disapointing 2024 campaign.

With Lewis Hamilton departing for Ferrari, the Brackley squad ushers in a new era, placing their faith in 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli who joins Russell in a refreshed driver lineup, injecting fresh energy and ambition into the team.

However, Mercedes' success will hinge on the performance of the W16, a car they hope can finally close the gap to dominant rivals Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari. Lessons learned from the flawed W15 must translate into a more balanced and competitive machine.

As the team adapts to its new lineup, the stakes couldn't be higher. Can Mercedes harness their innovative spirit and rise to the challenge? The 2025 season will be pivotal in determining whether the former world champions can re-establish themselves as genuine title contenders.

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