Mercedes Investigates Performance Issues at Dutch GP

Mercedes is currently examining its performance issues encountered during the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, particularly in high-speed corners. The team's trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, described their pace in these sections as poor and noted inconsistencies in performance across different stints and drivers.

Despite a promising start to the weekend, with George Russell securing pole position and winning the sprint race, Mercedes fell behind McLaren's Lando Norris in the main event. The team managed to finish second and third in both qualifying and the race, with Kimi Antonelli outperforming Russell to extend his championship lead.

Shovlin mentioned that minimal changes were made to the cars between the sprint and the grand prix, which added to the team's confusion regarding the performance fluctuations. He highlighted that both drivers reported different handling characteristics, which is unusual. Mercedes achieved its second-highest points total of the season, earning 46 points, but the team is still seeking clarity on the underlying issues.