Mercedes reveals conclusions after costly DNFs in recent F1 races
by Haydn Cobb · AutosportMercedes has understood a battery problem that has triggered its recent reliability woes and is working on a solution
Mercedes has identified an issue with its battery that is at the heart of its recent Formula 1 race retirements which have cost both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, and is working on a permanent fix.
After Russell’s Mercedes conked out while he was leading the Canadian Grand Prix last month, Antonelli suffered the same fate while running in second place in the Barcelona GP last weekend. Both were linked to a failure with Mercedes' battery.
While not specifically linked to the works team’s problem, customer squad McLaren has also suffered a run of electrical trouble; Lando Norris needed a battery change during the Monaco GP weekend and retired from the race with power unit settings being noted as the cause of his DNF, while both Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to start the Chinese GP with separate electrical issues.
Speaking immediately after the Barcelona GP, Wolff said Mercedes can’t afford the run of retirements in the battle for the F1 world titles and the team would “leave no stone unturned to understand” what was causing the unreliability.
After diagnosing Antonelli's car after the Barcelona race, Mercedes technical director James Allison said the team has pinpointed the issue to its power unit’s battery and a permanent fix is being worked on.
“I think anyone who's a keen watcher of the sport will have seen that this has laid a few Mercedes engine cars low over the season so far,” Allison said on Mercedes’ Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show. “They're not all identical, but they do sort of originate in the same broad part of the battery.
“I think that most of the areas of risk have been understood. And with a bit of luck, when we start to sort of phase in the new modules into the racing season– we call the battery 'the module'– then our fortunes as a fleet should pick up.
“Obviously for us, that's an important thing. These DNFs are very, very painful.”
Speaking more broadly about how the team designs and builds parts with reliability in mind, Allison explained how the team aims to identify failures either in testing or in engine rigs to avoid being exposed in races – but inevitably, when pushed to extremes and in different racing conditions, previously unidentified weaknesses can appear.
“You accept that there will be failure. We try to make sure that failure happens in testing or on rigs and that it happens as little as possible when you're out there trying to earn championship points,” Allison said.
“Now, clearly it doesn't always work because occasionally the car will DNF and that is definitely a failure of our process and all of our attempts to deliver performance without the downside of that performance.
“But when a failure like that does happen, then in the first instance and perhaps before it's fully understood, then the team will tend to take a slight half-step backwards to be more cautious with the equipment, to push it slightly less hard, just to give a little bit of resilience to the kit that's obviously suffering.
“But a different part of the team will try to figure out what was the root cause of that failure to design that out, prove that out and put something back on the table that is sufficiently robust.
“So you do a first intervention that is just to try to sort of give the vulnerable thing an easier life while then working on a proper cure that lets you really cane it.”
Mercedes hasn’t given a timeline on when the “proper cure” will be ready as it begins preparations for four race weekends across five weeks, starting with the Austrian GP next weekend.
But given its two DNFs in Canada and Barcelona have effectively cost 43 points - ignoring changes of positions for the sister car after the retirements - Mercedes' dominant position in the F1 world constructors' championship has been eroded to 72 points by Ferrari.
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