Why the US GP will show the first clues to Mercedes' 2024 F1 steps

Mercedes will bring a significant upgrade to the United States Grand Prix but, while a slight pace advantage should be expected, this improvement is more about laying the foundations for a stronger 2024 Formula 1 campaign

Updated Oct 19, 2023, 4:01 PM

When Mercedes rolls out its modified floor at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix at Austin, the difference it brings in lap time will almost certainly not be a gamechanger in helping the squad knock Red Bull off the top - although you should never say never in Formula 1.

In fact, the team itself is in little doubt that it is nearing the end of the development curve with the W14 which, while much improved on how it started the season, is still nowhere near good enough to be consistently fighting at the front.

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Author Jonathan Noble

Jonathan Noble is Motorsport.com’s Formula 1 editor. Having graduated from University of Sussex Jonathan worked for sports news agency Collings Sports reporting on F1, F3, touring cars and other sports, with articles appearing in The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Reuters, Autosport and other publications. In 1999 he moved to Haymarket Publishing to become a senior editor at Autosport Special Projects, and one year later he became Autosport’s grand prix editor. In 2015 he moved to Motorsport Network, becoming the F1 editor for Motorsport.com. He is also a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and sits on the FIA Media Council.