Mercedes explain changes in return to form at Spanish Grand Prix

Mercedes have made many changes to their car but chief strategist James Vowles highlighted temperature as a main one

Russell remains the only driver to finish in the top five of each race (Getty Images)

Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles has explained the changes made to the team’s car which saw an improvement in form at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The team have been struggling with pace and porpoising this season but they bagged two good results last Sunday. George Russell finished third, maintaining his streak as the only driver to finish every race in the top five, and Lewis Hamilton claimed fifth.

“I’ll try and break down the different elements of those [changes],” Vowles said in Mercedes’ post-race debrief video. “The first is temperatures. We were seeing 36-37 degrees ambient during the race weekend. The track was somewhere in the mid-40s.

“During the test it is more typical to see 16 degrees ambient, maybe 17, and the track more typically around about low 20s, 22, 25 and that creates quite a substantial difference on how the tyres are performing. Generally, you go quicker in the cooler conditions.

“One, the tyres are in a slightly better window but also, when you have cool temperatures the air is dense so the power is slightly higher as a result and you generate slightly more downforce. But the other difference is that during the test for example we used the C5 compound – the softest compound of the Pirelli range.

“During the race weekend that was a C3, so you’ve got two steps of compound there as well for most of the cars on what they were doing. The difference also is that during the test you have very little of these compounds available to you.

“You are not doing a full qualifying programme, you are perhaps just doing one or two fast laps and during the race weekend again you have a qualifying session where you have sufficient amounts of tyres.”

Vowles also explained how the body work has changed and that a few months into the season teams are racing in completely different cars due to upgrades made.

Mercedes aren’t expecting a replicated result in Monaco as team principal Toto Wolff is aware the circuit is a tricky one for the team.

But Russell will look to extend his impressive season and Hamilton will want to continue his progression after a rocky start to the campaign.