Mercedes Optimistic About F1 Floor Upgrade Gains Despite Handling Concerns

Mercedes expresses optimism about improvements from their latest F1 floor upgrade, yet suggests potential issues with handling.

Mercedes has announced that the latest upgrade to their F1 car's floor is producing the anticipated amount of downforce, though they've suggested it might also be influencing the vehicle's handling traits in unexpected ways.

Mercedes unveiled a redesigned floor for their vehicle ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, which took place just before the summer hiatus

Amidst challenging weather conditions during practice, Mercedes opted not to proceed with its run at Spa, ultimately securing a win with Lewis Hamilton.

Mercedes chose to compete at Zandvoort but faced challenges in maintaining speed, with both of their drivers finishing significantly behind Lando Norris.

In a recent video posted on the Mercedes YouTube channel, Andrew Shovlin, the head of trackside engineering, verified that the newly introduced floor is enhancing the car's downforce.

"In the past three races, we've conducted numerous comparisons of the setups, focusing mainly on the floor, and what we've conclusively determined is that it's producing the downforce we anticipated," Shovlin noted.

"What's our method for understanding this? We assess the impact it has on the road by monitoring the forces produced via the suspension system. Additionally, we examine the pressure distribution around the vehicle, comparing those findings with our wind tunnel experiments. This comparison gives us a reliable indication if everything is performing according to our anticipations."

"It's crucial to understand that the increase we anticipated wasn't significant. In fact, the initiative we rolled out was relatively modest. However, we're optimistic that it's producing the desired effect."

The addition of a new floor is contributing to the vehicle's weight, and a key aspect of these rules focuses on the way an increase in downforce can negatively affect a car's maneuverability.

Ferrari encountered an issue with their upgrade for the Spain Grand Prix, where an increase in "load" led to greater bouncing during fast cornering.

Shovlin acknowledged that Mercedes faces a "more challenging question" that requires an answer.

"He further questioned whether there might be any nuanced effects on the handling traits from this package that we have not yet foreseen."

"Evaluating that is challenging due to the car's varying performance across different circuits. On certain tracks, it has shown excellent performance, while on others, we've faced difficulties achieving the right balance for the car, irrespective of its aerodynamic configuration. Indeed, the outcomes of the most recent two races haven't matched the success of some earlier ones."

It's possible that what we're observing is simply the usual differences between tracks, but this will be our focus for the coming days. Additionally, we have several updates in the pipeline that we plan to implement into the system.

"We have a significant amount to think about, yet we're equipped with ample information. We can utilize the coming days to analyze and derive insights from that data."

Discover More

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Index

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Reproducing the content, whether entirely or partially, including text, images, or drawings, is strictly prohibited in any manner.