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Mercedes admits to step backwards

ESPNF1 Staff
July 8, 2010 « McLaren bust-up inevitable - Red Bull | »
Mercedes made a step backwards at the European Grand Prix © Getty Images
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Mercedes has admitted that its Valencia update actually resulted in a step backwards rather than an improvement.

The team introduced a blown diffuser to its W01 car but the hot gases from the exhaust damaged the rear bodywork and failed to increase overall downforce. The team will bring a modified version to the British Grand Prix as it attempts to play catch-up with Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.

"In the last race we handicapped ourselves with a step too far," Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug told Autosport. "If you have no testing, Friday is your test day, but it isn't guaranteed that everything works out. Sometimes by trying to take two steps forward, you go one step backwards. This is not incompetence, it's the name of the game if you are in a catch-up process. We are prepared to take criticism - if you don't get criticism then it means people don't expect thing from you."

Team principal Ross Brawn admitted that the failed update added to an existing problem with warming up the tyres.

"We get to the stage where we have to find the performance on new tyres and we have struggled," he said. "After three or four laps with the tyres, things settle down and everything seems to work reasonably well. But when we need to do one or two laps on low fuel we are struggling."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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