Mercedes F1 drivers making time away from races to rank problems

Amid the eight-time constructors’ champion’s ongoing ground-effect struggles, technical director Mike Elliott and chief technical officer James Allison swapped roles back in April.

Allison has alluded to this change leading to a shift in how Hamilton, who has cited a ‘constantly improving process’, and Russell are involved in the work back at the Brackley factory.

He reckons that while the team has more access to its drivers at a race,…