Toto Wolff: Mercedes makes strides with Mexico engine fix

Mercedes appeared to turn a corner in Mexico City by addressing its persistent Achilles’ heel with the thin air at high altitude that has plagued the team in recent Mexican Grands Prix.

Team principal Toto Wolff reported that Mercedes’ High Performance Powertrains (HPP) base finally resolved the turbocharger issues that led to overheating and performance loss.

In Wolff's own words, "HPP has done a fantastic job over the past few years - that was always our Achilles’ heel here that the turbo didn't breathe good enough. That's sorted and it's a strong weekend."

He directly praised HPP, stating "I couldn't be more proud of what HPP has achieved with the power unit."

This fix, along with the new upgraded floor debuted in Austin, led to an encouraging race weekend.

Lewis Hamilton charged from P6 to finish runner-up to winner Max Verstappen, while George Russell gained two places to finish P6.

Wolff felt the strong race pace validated gains from the new floor, saying it provided "more downforce, more drivability."

He continued, "The car is a little bit less tricky. Still, the genes are there. Lewis said to me, 'She's still so difficult to drive, although she's faster'."

For years in Mexico, insufficient turbo breathing led to dramatic loss of engine performance.

With the turbo now finally optimized for the conditions according to Wolff, their power unit matched others after years of struggle.

"That's our Achilles’ heel here that the turbo didn't breathe good enough. That's sorted and it's a strong weekend," Wolff affirmed.

The weekend proved important for next year’s development, indicating they are on the right path aerodynamically despite the W14’s inherent flaws.

Wolff acknowledged "the car that we've designed didn't have that floor, that airflow, these sidepods, leading edges and all the Christmas decoration...”

However, he reiterated the importance of directionally progressing for 2023.