Formula 1 News: Paddy Lowe Attributes Mercedes’ Struggles to “Wrong Turns” under Current Regulations
In a candid assessment, former Mercedes Formula 1 Technical Director Paddy Lowe has pinpointed the team’s ongoing struggles to taking “wrong turns” under the current regulations. Mercedes, the dominant force in the sport with an unprecedented eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships from 2014 to 2021, has faced a significant slump since the introduction of ground effect aero in 2022. Last season marked the team’s first winless campaign since 2011, and despite high hopes for the revised car concept this term, the W15 has failed to match its main rivals.
Lowe, who worked at Mercedes between 2013 and 2017, sympathizes with the team’s plight, noting that even top-performing teams acknowledge the role of good fortune in their success. “Mercedes have made some wrong turns aerodynamically,” Lowe told Motorsport.com. “The tools that we use are incredibly sophisticated, wind tunnels and CFD and so on, but nevertheless highly flawed, and all teams will admit this.”
According to Lowe, this has resulted in the team losing precious time, making it challenging to recover. “Your team has huge numbers of people and all of your machinery for testing and evaluating ideas should be churning out lap time on a daily basis, and if your competitors are doing that and you have, say, lost three, four, six months for whatever reason, even if you get back on track, it is very difficult to produce lap time at a higher rate than they are, so you remain with this offset for a long time as you try and claw it back.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff remains optimistic about the team’s latest developments, but Lowe cautions that the path to recovery is uncertain. “You may or may not get there. It may get worse… This is the nature of the sport and why it is so fascinating to watch as champions come and go.” Lowe believes the 2025 regulation overhaul presents the team’s greatest opportunity to reclaim the top spot, stating, “The 2026 regulations will be a disturbance that Mercedes are looking forward to see if they can disturb the status quo.”
Stay up-to-date with the latest Formula 1 news, including the Formula 1 calendar, Formula 1 autocentre, and Formula 1 today, as the sport’s top teams navigate the challenges of the current regulations.
🔗 Source