Wolff: In Baku we need to be better than at Zandvoort and Monza

Before Monza and Zandvoort, the team had won three of the previous four Grands Prix on merit, giving fans hope that they had found the "magic switch" on the previously problematic Mercedes package. It was hard to counter that optimism, especially as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell powered to fine victories.

However, the momentum that carried them into Zandvoort faltered, and by Monza, it was clear that Mercedes had cooled off. They didn’t regain the pace that had brought them success earlier. What went wrong?

A weekend off has given the team time to analyze these underwhelming performances, and team principal Toto Wolff is hoping that the lessons learned will make the difference in Baku.

McLaren, powered by Mercedes engines, has shown that the power unit isn’t the issue. The real difference in performance seems to be in the aerodynamic package, where McLaren has excelled.

Their drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are consistently delivering strong performances, though, as Monza proved, even they are prone to errors that can disrupt their momentum. Ferrari’s ability to overturn a McLaren 1-2 finish at Monza should serve as inspiration for the likes of Mercedes, who are hoping to re-establish themselves at the front of the pack.

In the Mercedes preview of Round 17 of the 2024 F1 World Championship this weekend in Baku, Wolff is quoted: "We head to Baku aiming for a better performance than we showed in Zandvoort and Monza. Both were difficult races for us.

"Our relative pace was not as strong as it was prior to the summer break and several of our competitors took a step forward. We showed good pace at moments across both weekends but were unable to unlock this consistently.

"We have spent the time since then analysing why this was. We have the opportunity to show we have done the necessary learning and made improvements both for this weekend in Azerbaijan and the following week in Singapore."

With back-to-back downtown-based circuits ahead (Baku and Marina Bay) both unknowns in terms of how the Mercedes W15 will perform, Wolff is wary: "Both are challenging street circuits. They are bumpy, have many low-speed and 90 degree corners, but also feature plenty of high-speed sections. They pose a very different test to the ones we faced in the Netherlands and Italy."

"The traditional European portion of the season is now behind us. We have eight flyaway races before the chequered flag falls in Abu Dhabi. We are focused on ending the season as strongly as possible. There is plenty of racing left and we will be fighting for every point possible, starting this weekend in Baku," concluded Wolff's preview.

Out of seven GPs held in Baku, Mercedes have won three of them with Nico Rosberg in 2016 (run as European GP) then Hamilton in 2018 and Valtteri Bottas in 2019. Red Bull have won the other four times at the venue.

Should the stars align for them again, Mercedes could still find themselves in the hunt for victory in Azerbaijan. Whether they can unlock the full potential of their package remains to be seen, but it’s clear that there’s still a lot to play for in 2024 as Red Bull falter.