Wolff recalls how Mercedes found and "clicked" the Magic Switch
F1 NewsSaturday, 13 July 2024 at 14:29
Motorsport's mythical 'Magic Switch' became a reality before our very eyes, as Mercedes discovered one in the hitherto troublesome W15 which when "clicked" has resulted in back-to-back victories for the once serial Formula 1 World Champions.
This is how it happened according to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
From the outset of the current F1 regulations, Mercedes never understood what made their package work. One victory in two and a half seasons is a testament to how the Mighty Mercs had fallen, as if at the flick of a switch.
Now suddenly, two victories later - a deserving one for Russell in Austria and most recently a glorious one for Lewis Hamilton at his home British Grand Prix - is abundantly clear that the Magic Switch has been found. How so?
Wolff explained in an interview with F1.com: "You could see that five races ago we weren’t even contenders for the podium, which looked like the third year of non-performance, and then it clicked.
“Suddenly everything that didn’t make sense, and the results of the development direction is like in the old days. We are finding performance, we are putting it on the car, and it translates into lap time. That wasn’t the case for the last two years.”
While it appears that this double win 'streak' was not a Sao Paulo-style anomaly but rather on merit, suggesting Mercedes are back at the sharp end for real this time.
Wolff: Honestly, we didn’t think it would be Silverstone
George Russell starting from pole position at Silverstone, and Hamilton bagging P1 is proof that there is a race-winning pace in the W15, with Magic Switch clicked to: "On."
While cautious and not wanting to get carried away with the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone wins, Wolff acknowledged: "It does feel that way, because [in Austria] we weren’t far off. If you look at the gap we had before [Verstappen and Norris] crashed, it was nearly two-tenths a lap, a bit more.
“That’s the closest we’ve been for a long time on a track that we didn’t like so much in the past. That kind of gave us hints that it could be getting much better.
“Honestly, we didn’t think it would be Silverstone, because the more stuff we were putting on the car, we were more expecting Budapest or Spa, but we justified that what we do is right at the moment," explained Wolff.
A light bulb moment, an epiphany, a flash, the go-fast-button... I call it the 'Magic Switch'
The key to that moment was likely James Allison returning as Chief Technical Officer to the frontline in place of Mike Elliot, and soon discovering that pesky 'Magic Switch' in the W15.
A light bulb moment, an epiphany, a flash, a lightning strike, the go-fast-button, or whatever? I call it the 'Magic Switch' that needed finding.
Wolff continued: “There was a moment where led by James, suddenly the data made sense and the gap. Mainly the way we balance the car and how we could bring it in a better sweet spot. I think that was the main thing.
"It wasn’t a miracle front wing [introduced in Monaco], it is more the balance that we achieved," concluded Wolff, inadvertently confirming the ol' F1 'Magic Switch' theory.
With Red Bull leading on 373 points after 12 Rounds and the 2024 F1 Constructors' Standings, Mercedes are a poorly (by their lofty standards) P4 on 295 points. However, they will be encouraged that in the past two races they outscored the reigning F1 World Champions by 27 points.
That's the magic of knowing where the 'Magic Switch' is hidden.
Big Question: Are Mercedes a serious winning force in Formula 1 again?
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