Mercedes fears it has lost race-day F1 tyre edge over Ferrari

In the early phase of the season, the Mercedes would have the edge in races because its W14 car was much less harsh on its tyres than the Ferrari SF-23.

However, as Ferrari has made gains in understanding why its 2023 challenger was so hard on its rubber early on, its race pace has improved dramatically.

And with the two teams now locked in a fight for runners-up in the constructors’ championship, the switch in car characteristic could prove…