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Mercedes chasing performance - Brawn

ESPNF1 Staff
February 24, 2012 « Headline time 'not a real result' - Kobayashi | 'Excellent couple of weeks' for Williams »
Ross Brawn: "I don't think we have the car [to win] yet" © Getty Images
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Mercedes has begun searching for performance from the W03 after learning how its new car works during the second test, according to team principal Ross Brawn.

Mercedes decided to launch its new car later than its rivals in order to give itself maximum development time. Having missed the first test the team has still managed to cover more than 2000km with the W03 by the end of the first test, and Brawn revealed that having ensured there are no inherent faults Mercedes was now trying to get the maximum pace out of the car.

"The important thing is that we don't appear to have any core problems, we don't appear to have any major issues," Brawn is quoted by Autosport. "It seems okay and the car functions all right. Maybe something will come up that we don't know about at the moment, but it seems to work okay and that's great because we're now starting work on the performance.

"We're in a much better position than we were last year. So far, we have done over 2000 kms and we had done less than half of that at this stage last year. I think people can see that we have got something to work with."

However, Brawn admitted that despite the progress made challenging for victories was not yet on the cards for Mercedes.

"It doesn't yet," he said when asked where a win comes in to the equation. "There's still an awful lot to do and it's too early to make any judgements ... Both drivers are capable of winning. There's no doubt in my mind about that. We have got to produce the car. I don't think we have the car yet but it has been a good step over where we were 12 months ago."

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