The German manufacturer had the first run of its upgraded F1 challenger on a proper circuit in Spain this weekend, after the parts appeared originally in Monaco.
And as Lewis Hamilton put himself in contention for a front row start, before a collision with team-mate George Russell damaged his car and compromised his later form, Mercedes says it has taken huge encouragement from what it has seen at Barcelona.
Team boss Toto Wolff said that as well as the performance progress it has experienced from the car changes, of more significance are the answers about just where it needs to pursue added pace now.
“I think it's solid,” he said about the current state of the W14. “I think we should have been right behind Max [Verstappen], and this is what we've seen after FP3 where we felt we had something in the bag. And that's why the disappointment is big, because we expected more.
“But I think it is a new baseline. It is from where we can continue to work with a certain stability, and without needing to question certain parts of the car, whether it's the bodywork, the floor, or the front suspension. It is now established, and this is what we are taking forward now.”
Source: Autosport