BEYOND THE GRID: James Allison on why he's confident of a Mercedes comeback and what he'll miss about Lewis Hamilton

From 2014 to 2021, Mercedes dominated Formula 1 with a record eight Constructors' World Championships in a row and this week's Beyond The Grid guest, James Allison, was right at the heart of it.

However, since 2022 the team have struggled to fully grasp the current ground effect cars and, as a result, have dramatically fallen down the pecking order, behind their rivals Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.

F1 NATION: Can Verstappen win in ‘Red Bull territory’ and are Mercedes on the up? It's our Spanish GP preview

Mercedes’ struggles continued at the start of 2024, but they have made progress in the last few races, while George Russell’s P3 and Lewis Hamilton’s P4 in Canada secured the team’s best result of the season thus far.

So, where were they going wrong? What have they changed on the car? And are they going to be competitive for the rest of the year?

Speaking to Tom Clarkson in Montreal, Mercedes Technical Director Allison answers all those questions.

F1 EXPLAINS: Ask an F1 driver – Your questions answered by Liam Lawson

He talks about the personal impact of the team’s struggles, why he thinks Russell is faster than Hamilton in qualifying this season and he delves into what he’ll miss about the seven-time world champion as he gears up for a move to Ferrari for 2025.

Allison also explains whether 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli is ready for F1, and much more.

To listen to this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, simply hit go on the audio player above or click here to listen via your preferred podcasting platform.