Mercedes wants on-track performance to do the talking

The Brackley-based outfit introduced a Red Bull Racing-style blown diffuser for the last race at Silverstone, and its form in the race lifted hopes about the steps forward the team can make over the second half of the season.

With further upgrades being introduced at this weekend's German GP, Mercedes GP is hoping that it can keep hold of its fourth place in the Constructors' Championship now - but motorsport boss Norbert Haug says there is no benefit to making bold claims in public.

"We need to prove it on the race track," Haug told AUTOSPORT. "It does not make sense if I announce what we hope to achieve. We are working on it. But we will only see when we drive and when we are competing against the others.

"This is a completely different layout, with lots of parts, and lots of different capabilities and demands. Here we have some consolidation of what we introduced at Silverstone - with the exhaust and other small bits and pieces with the rear wing."

With developments now delivering progress on track, Haug believes that the whole infrastructure of Mercedes GP is working much better as it beds down - which should deliver more success in the future.

"If you build up a team, and we are in the second year, you need time to learn to bring people together, to form a stable platform and all that.

"We were struggling in the first two races, but the third race looked quite favourable as we saw when we were leading, but did not have enough fuel.

"The Canada race looked quite good so there were some good showings, but we need to stabilise it and consolidate it."