F1 News: Mercedes Feeling Pressure On Next Season's Car - "2026 Bearing Down On Us"

Who would've thought that the W15 would pave the way for the 2026 car?

Mercedes technical director James Allison stressed that it is extremely important that the team get their 2024 car sorted, to be able to divert focus on the next era of power units that make their way into F1 from 2026. 

After struggling quite badly for nearly two years with their W13 and W14 F1 cars, the Brackley outfit is all set to make fundamental modifications to the design of the W15 car for the next season.

With the development in advanced stages already, Mercedes is aware of the importance the next two seasons carry and thus, the need to remain in the front from the beginning of next year is a high priority. If a flying start to the next season is achieved, it would help the team focus on the new engine rules for 2026. 

Speaking to the media, Allison explained:

“It's important that we get off the new season on the front foot.

"But more than averagely so because with 2026 bearing down on us, that car will need to be engineered in 2025.

"It's highly likely that the 2025 cars can be close cousins of the 2024 cars. So doubly important to get the 2024 car good.

"That’s not particular to us, but it does sharpen your focus [in] wanting to make sure we have a car that gives us a good run into 2026, as well as good championships and the fun that brings.”

F1 News: 2024 W15 Car Development Sees Both Mercedes Drivers On The Same Page, Unlike Ferrari

The technical chief added that the team must ensure the new car is "well-born" to be able to unlock its full potential. He added:

“Over the years, most of the good cars I’ve been lucky enough to be around while they’ve happened the driver gets in it and doesn’t exactly say, ‘Spend your bonus’, but they more or less do.

"Unlocking potential is not really something that takes very long if the car is well-born - and that will be the aim of this one.

"I feel like all of us have got a pretty clear-sighted view of what we want to do with the car. This championship, while we haven’t made the really impressive progress that say, McLaren have, we have nevertheless been charting a path through the season that gives us a very clear idea of what we need to put right.

"So that makes next year’s fun very exciting to look forward to, and this period actually of the year extremely enjoyable.”