Il team principal Mercedes Toto Wolff ha tenuto discussioni con i team clienti per affrontare le lamentele sulla condivisione delle informazioni sulle prestazioni. La mossa segue le forti performance Mercedes nelle recenti sessioni di qualifica, inclusa la pole position di George Russell nella gara sprint del Gran Premio di Cina. Team clienti come McLaren e Williams avevano sollevato preoccupazioni su un divario di conoscenza derivante dai test pre-stagionali.
Nella vigilia del Gran Premio di Cina, Mercedes ha cercato di allentare le tensioni con i suoi team clienti motori dopo l'emergere di lamentele pubbliche riguardo all'accesso ai dati vitali sulle prestazioni. La questione ha guadagnato attenzione dopo la dominante performance in qualifica di Mercedes al Gran Premio d'Australia, dove il team ufficiale ha distanziato i suoi clienti con un margine notevole. Customer teams, particularly McLaren and Williams, expressed frustration over the disparity. During pre-season testing in Bahrain, only Mercedes had the latest power unit specification, creating what they described as a 'knowledge gap' that impacted their simulations. Williams principal James Vowles noted, «They have just been cleverer than we have, and it's our job to get on top of it. I'm just a little bit shocked by how much more clever.» McLaren's Andrea Stella added that discussions with Mercedes' High Performance Powertrains (HPP) about more information had been ongoing for weeks. He explained, «Because even in testing, we were pretty much going on track, run the car, look at the data, oh, that's what we have. Good, now we react to what we have. That's not how you work in Formula 1.» Mercedes maintains that it has met all regulatory obligations for data sharing and attributes its edge to overall car performance rather than power unit specifics alone. In Shanghai, Wolff convened a meeting to clear the air, aiming to reduce public rhetoric on the matter. Post-meeting, Wolff stated, «At the end of the day everyone naturally tries to find some kind of advantage for themselves. Some do it a bit more behind the scenes, others through the media. But we discussed this again with the customer teams. It’s completely clear that nobody wanted to accuse anyone of anything. We’re trying to manage this within the regulations.» The session appeared effective, as McLaren driver Lando Norris adopted a more conciliatory tone, saying, «We've always worked closely [with Mercedes]. We'll continue to do it.» Data from Australia highlights Mercedes' advantages in apex speeds and energy harvesting balance, suggesting customer teams must also enhance their chassis development, including downforce, to close the gap. Alpine has become a new Mercedes customer this season, adding to the dynamics among the teams.
