Of the stars in the Ursa Minor constellation, Polaris is the most luminous. Easily visible on the darkest of nights, Polaris is a focal point in both astronomy and navigation; as a cepheid variable star (in other words, it pulsates), it can be used to determine spatial distances to other galaxies. And, because it sits almost directly over the Earth’s celestial north pole, it can be traced by seafarers to travel north. It’s probably better known as the North Star.
On a cloudy night, however, its luminescence is eclipsed by the gloom; finding your way without it is a much more arduous endeavour. It’s an enveloping state of purgatory within which Mercedes has existed for the past two years, running aground multiple times as it seeks to plot its course towards the top of Formula 1. Its own radical concepts had not maintained its turbo-hybrid-era successes, instead producing a feedback loop of seemingly endless problems. In addressing those issues, Mercedes’ fixes seemed to vacillate between the forensic and a more trial-and-error approach.
“We didn’t have a North Star necessarily at the beginning of the year, knowing exactly where we need to work towards,” explained Lewis Hamilton in 2023. “It’s been kind of a zigzag line trying to get to where we need to be. Every now and then something positive happens, you’re like, ‘OK, that’s it’. And then it shifts, so the goalpost is always moving, which is typical.”
The team has pledged an all-new car for 2024. Now, Hamilton reckons, a sense of direction and purpose has once again come into view: “I do believe we have a North Star now, which I don’t think we’ve had for two years. But still getting there is not a straight line…”
For the Briton, this is none
