The paddock will be abuzz this week(end) as not only does F1 return, but the long awaited upgrades to Mercedes' 2023 car, the "W14" have finally arrived. Whether they make big gains this week isn't really the litmus test though. In fact, there are several things to look at in an effort to determine whether these changes will prove to be worth it. Here are some updates on the process and specifications, plus my opinions on the matter:
- Andrew Shovlin "What we are going to be bringing to the track in Imola is the first step of that work. This takes quite a long time to develop in the wind tunnel and you can't just do these things overnight."
- Karun Chandok
"There's a six-to-eight week lead time. You come up with an idea, design it in the virtual world, you make a model which goes in the wind tunnel - there's x amount of testing that has to happen with that. Then it goes to the composite department to make the parts and get them to the actual race, and that whole process is six-seven weeks at least.
- Lewis Hamilton
"It’s a bit of an unknown. It’s not like I have a one-second upgrade coming, which is what I need"
"People keep talking about getting the new sidepods on the car but it's not as simple as that. You put the Red Bull sidepods on our car and it won't change a thing, it literally won't change a thing, it might even go slower. It's about aero characteristics, it's how the car is balanced through the corners."
We sit closer to the front wheels than all the other drivers.Our cockpit is too close to the front. When you’re driving, you feel like you’re sitting on the front wheels which is one of the worst feelings when you’re driving a car. What that does is it just really changes the attitude of the car and how you perceive its movement. It makes it harder to predict, compared to when you’re further back and you’re sitting closer, more centre. It’s just something I’ve really struggled with.”
- Toto Wolff
"What we are doing is we're introducing a new bodywork and we're introducing a new floor and we're doing a new front suspension. That's a pretty large operation, a large surgery and so there is going to be a lot of learning."
"We need to manage our own expectations. Because we are bringing an update package that is going to consist of new suspension parts and bodywork and some other things, but I have never in my 15 years in Formula 1, seen a silver bullet being introduced where suddenly you unlock half a second of performance. I very much doubt this is going to happen here."
"That's why the upgrade that we're bringing is going to help us to set the direction, and to understand the various areas that we believe could play a role in why the car is so poisonous to drive"
"Solid pace is not where we want to be. And we need to understand why we are lacking that speed for a lap. So there is nothing to be relieved of by having a more decent Sunday, because you’ve just got to start at the front and you’ve got to be able to manage all the Red Bulls and the other guys and that’s not the case yet.”
"I think we know what we’re doing to the car. Really quickly we will see whether that correlates with the virtual world. I think it’s good to have three races in a row to understand what’s actually happening and then it gives us maybe a little bit of a buffer later on to filter that and then take next decisions of what to do in terms of updates. Monaco between the two is something that it’s a single-lap issue and a tyre that comes into life quickly. None of that we do good. So let’s see where we are in Imola.”
Thoughts & Takeaways
- There is still a lot of work to be done. Toto's quotes make it pretty evident that they are not 100% sure the direction the team is going in with this design, but at the very least it will begin a process of elimination to determine what the required moves are. Maybe what they've tested in the factory will translate on track, but as we saw in Bahrain last season, that is not always the case.
- If everything Mercedes are saying is true (a rarity for F1 teams), then don't expect much from them this weekend in Imola. Or next weekend in Monaco. If things go smoothly Merc fans may be able to hope for a podium in Spain, but with both drivers being from the UK the real litmus test for this season will be when they roll into Silverstone in early July
- Lewis Hamilton obviously will not be winning his 8th Drivers Championship this year, but these next few weeks may go a long way in determining his future. I fully expect Lewis to stay with Mercedes for multiple years to come, but not just out of pure loyalty. If these changes go badly, then the window for Lewis to win with Merc wont open again until at least 2026 when the next set of regulations are introduced. At this point there aren't any better options out there for Lewis, but with the emergence of Aston Martin and Ferrari desperate to regain their status, a change wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility were Mercedes to once again flub their car design with so much on the line for Hamilton
- It was now or never for Mercedes. With no sprints until Austria and a summer break to adapt their learnings, Merc may be able to minimize the damage of taking one step back in order to take two (or three, or four) steps forward. The fact they stuck with the previous concept this long remains a head shaker, but if they can finally begin to get things on the right path they may still be able to secure 2nd in the Constructors Standings this season, and (fingers crossed) be able to challenge Red Bull as soon as 2024.
- The thing I am most curious to see early in the week is how the likes of Red Bull (Christian Horner), Ferrari, and Aston Martin react to the new Mercedes design. They may just stay quiet, but if we start to hear passive aggressive mocking (Horner again), rumours of protest, or anger coming from the other teams, then we will know Merc are on the right track. However, if those same teams say things like, "It's good to see Mercedes going in the right direction, its better for the sport when they are in the mix." I will take that as a sign we're in for a long road back. I could obviously be wrong here, but generally the tone of the rival teams will tell you more in the opening session than Merc themselves. A happy Toto would be nice to see, but don't expect a celebration any time soon.
コメント