United States GP: Mercedes confirm floor upgrade to F1 car as team continue to set development route for 2024

Mercedes are bringing their "last significant update" of the season to this weekend's United States GP, as they enter the final weeks of a disappointing 2023 campaign aiming to consolidate second place in the Constructors' Championship and learn lessons about their development path for 2024.

The team's W14 will feature an updated floor at the Circuit of the Americas as they continue to chase improved downforce and performance.

"We'll be bringing a modified floor, which is the last significant update we will take to the track this year," said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who is back at the circuit this weekend after not travelling to the last two events following knee surgery.

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"It will hopefully bring a small gain but more importantly, is another milestone in setting our development path for W15."

Second-placed Mercedes hold a 28-point advantage over Ferrari with five race weekends to go and Wolff added: "The battle for second in the Constructors' has become more intense in recent races.

"We will keep our heads down, keep pushing and aim to score as many points as we can to increase our advantage."

Explaining the impact the floor change might have, technical director James Allison stressed that while it was "not transformative" it was a further example of the direction they want to go in for next year's W15.

"It should be good at any circuit for the remainder of the year," said Allison on the F1 Nation podcast.

"It's not transformative, [it] should be about a tenth of a second.

"It's in the direction we think is decent, both for producing downforce in the right place, and hopefully being resistant to the bounciness that all these cars nibble at as soon as you try and get much downforce from them."

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McLaren are the team behind champions Red Bull who have been on the move in recent months and have claimed double podiums in each of the past two grands prix.

"At a Suzuka type track, they have the edge on us, at a slower type track, maybe we have some things they don't, but I'm not sure what they have left to bring to their car," added Allison.

"Hopefully the floor that we are going to pop on the car at the next race in Austin could bring us up on level terms in any of the races to come."

When to watch the US GP and F1 Academy finale live only on Sky Sports F1

Thursday October 19

• 8pm: Drivers' Press Conference

Friday October 20

• 2.15pm: F1 Academy Practice One
• 6pm: US GP Practice One (Session starts 6.30pm)
• 7.55pm: F1 Academy Practice Two
• 9pm: US GP Qualifying build-up
• 10pm: US GP Qualifying (also on Sky Sports Main Event)
• 11.30pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
• (Saturday) 12.30am: Ted's Qualifying Notebook

Saturday October 21

• 3.30pm: F1 Academy Race One
• 6pm: US GP Sprint Shootout build-up
• 6:30pm: US GP Sprint Shootout
• 9.15pm: F1 Academy Race Two
• 10pm: US GP Sprint build-up
• 11pm: US GP SPRINT (also on Sky Sports Main Event)
• (Sunday) 12.30am: Ted's Sprint Notebook

Sunday October 22

• 3.30pm: F1 Academy Race Three
• 6.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: US GP build-up
• 8pm: THE UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX (also on Sky Sports Main Event)
• 10pm: Chequered Flag: US GP reaction
• 11pm: Ted's Notebook

Watch Formula 1 return to Texas for the United States Grand Prix and another Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from October 20-22. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW