Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said that Mercedes has been working hard since Jeddah to address its weaknesses and hopes that Melbourne will prove to be a step in the right direction.
If Mercedes looked competitive in the low and medium-speed corners, the W15 struggled through high-speed sections. That is something the Brackley-based outfit wants to improve to get closer to Ferrari and Red Bull.
“We’ve been hard at work since Jeddah building on the learnings from the first two races,” explained Wolff.
“It’s encouraging to see the potential in the W15, but there are also clear areas of improvement, we have looked competitive in low and medium-speed corners but high-speed has been a weakness so far.
“We have been working hard to understand why our performance hasn’t reflected our expectations. Improving that is a major focus.
“We hope to make some initial progress for Melbourne, and that work will guide our development in the weeks ahead.”
Wolff continued by saying that the energy inside the team is great and everybody is working to unlock the full potential of the car.
“It’s great to feel the energy and determination running through the factories as we work to unlock the potential of the car.
“We left points on the table in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, we started off each weekend strongly, running our usual practice programs, but couldn’t deliver on that initial promise.
“With the chasing pack being so close, maximizing the potential of the car each weekend is key. Albert Park gives us another chance to show what we can do.”