Inside the Mercedes mission control where F1 races are won or lost
Thousands of miles from the race track, an F1 team’s nerve centre shapes its drivers’ fortunes. For the US Grand Prix, Autosport was granted an exclusive peek behind the curtain at Mercedes' Race Support Room in Brackley, where the crucial number-crunching and monitoring that informs trackside decision-making is made
“Radio check”.
Two simple words and a crackle on the intercoms mark the start of an important day for Mercedes. It is the Saturday of the United States Grand Prix, and final practice is about to begin at the Circuit of The Americas. Lewis Hamilton trails Max Verstappen by six points at the top of the championship, making qualifying later in the day an important session as Mercedes looks to turn the tide in the title race.
As the radio channels fire up and the final preparations are made in the Mercedes garage, 4800 miles away in Brackley a team of strategists and engineers are also getting ready for practice. They may not be physically beside their colleagues in Austin, but they are ready to play a critical role that will be decisive to the outcome of the race.
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