Mercedes W13

[Mchamilton]

Ordinary and uninteresting floor.

https://f1i.autojournal.fr/wp-content/u ... _w13_5.jpg

Just been comparing the redbull side by side and it is crazy the difference. Clearly need a lot of development work to be done here. You think that new floor coming in Imola, will make a big difference?

Doesnt even look like merc are using any floor edge wing of any sort, nvn the clever little vane that RB have come up with

[Andi76]

It's worth pointing out that this car, with all of its problems, is still basically the third fastest car on the grid. Yes, it's way behind the Ferrari and Red Bull cars, but it's not as if it's driving around 3 seconds off the pace at the back of the grid.

Will the W13 win the title this year? No, I don't think it's got a chance. Is it likely to end up with Mercedes being third in the constructor table? Yes, very probably.

At the moment they are struggling to get in Q3...so to be honest - i highly doubt that this car is the third fastest car. What was achieved with this car was more of the drivers doing a great job, and also a lot of luck in Bahrain.

[PlatinumZealot]

The clear difference between the RedBull and the Mercedes is the floor. The Mercedes floor looks like it was designed by an intern fresh out of high school. The RedBull floor likes like it was sent back from ten years in the future.

[elMaestro]

It's worth pointing out that this car, with all of its problems, is still basically the third fastest car on the grid. Yes, it's way behind the Ferrari and Red Bull cars, but it's not as if it's driving around 3 seconds off the pace at the back of the grid.

Will the W13 win the title this year? No, I don't think it's got a chance. Is it likely to end up with Mercedes being third in the constructor table? Yes, very probably.

At the moment they are struggling to get in Q3...so to be honest - i highly doubt that this car is the third fastest car. What was achieved with this car was more of the drivers doing a great job, and also a lot of luck in Bahrain.

Not on qualy pace, but on race pace clear third. Wouldve finished 5th and 6th in Bahrain if it wasnt for Redbull, and in Jeddah Hamilton's race was shot by a bad strategy and Russell had a lonely race in 5th clear on the midfield and way behind the front runners.

[Scorpaguy]

The clear difference between the RedBull and the Mercedes is the floor. The Mercedes floor looks like it was designed by an intern fresh out of high school. The RedBull floor likes like it was sent back from ten years in the future.

...but I would still aver that if their sidepod hunch is correct, once the flow is settled/stabilized (assuming it can be), it will be "faster" than either big Red or the Bull. I find it hard to believe that 9 out of 10 teams got it (side pod basic shape) right and Merc "missed it by a mile".

[NicoS]

[F1Krof]

Seems like the farce performance today is due to tyre temperature not being hot enough.

[ringo]

The car is a dog..
When i saw the underside of the floor.. I had to wonder what mercedes were working on so long for the new regs.
They need to fire the guy who designed the floor, or they can get rid of the aero director.
He really dropped the ball here.

The zero pods are fine to me. The floor underside and entry is the issue.
The suspension was not designed for porpoising, so it can be excused. They suspension guy would have designed for it if they were expecting it.

They need a b spec soon. But i think they are using williams and aston to test parts for them.
Notice williams and aston has many new parts including a floor.

The car looks the most horrible at this circuit than the other two.

[elMaestro]

The car is a dog..
When i saw the underside of the floor.. I had to wonder what mercedes were working on so long for the new regs.
They need to fire the guy who designed the floor, or they can get rid of the aero director.
He really dropped the ball here.

The zero pods are fine to me. The floor underside and entry is the issue.
The suspension was not designed for porpoising, so it can be excused. They suspension guy would have designed for it if they were expecting it.

They need a b spec soon. But i think they are using williams and aston to test parts for them.
Notice williams and aston has many new parts including a floor.

The car looks the most horrible at this circuit than the other two.

So that explains why Aston Martin and Williams have brought quite alot of updates, more so than everyone.

[jurinius]

They just need to be careful with the quick fixes they are trying or testing for driveability. Those steering wheel wobbles for example will just increase the driver lack of confidence.

According to what I've seen so far, they will have to adapt a new rear suspension more than the floor design, and this can cause an engine part mount upgrades. All they can do is capture everything possible for analysis and go back to Brackley.

[Vaexa]

The car is a dog..
When i saw the underside of the floor.. I had to wonder what mercedes were working on so long for the new regs.
They need to fire the guy who designed the floor, or they can get rid of the aero director.
He really dropped the ball here.

The zero pods are fine to me. The floor underside and entry is the issue.
The suspension was not designed for porpoising, so it can be excused. They suspension guy would have designed for it if they were expecting it.

They need a b spec soon. But i think they are using williams and aston to test parts for them.
Notice williams and aston has many new parts including a floor.

The car looks the most horrible at this circuit than the other two.

Aston Martin and especially Williams are independent teams and data sharing is illegal, in any case. I think AM and Williams are bringing new parts because they have the worst two cars on the grid, not because their engine manufacturer is telling them to.

Sure Merc can glean what they're doing and trying, but I'd be very surprised if they're doing it on Merc's behalf.

[Andi76]

The clear difference between the RedBull and the Mercedes is the floor. The Mercedes floor looks like it was designed by an intern fresh out of high school. The RedBull floor likes like it was sent back from ten years in the future.

...but I would still aver that if their sidepod hunch is correct, once the flow is settled/stabilized (assuming it can be), it will be "faster" than either big Red or the Bull. I find it hard to believe that 9 out of 10 teams got it (side pod basic shape) right and Merc "missed it by a mile".

It is not like 9 out of 10 teams got it right an Mercedes got it wrong. Mercedes sidepods are only an extreme version of the Micro-Sidepods. And Micro-Sidepods get used by McLaren(even if McLaren is a different story, as they are sealing the underfloor much better and put more effort in management of the front tyre wake in my opinion) Williams and Mercedes. And all these teams are in trouble, while all the teams using "big"-sidepods have improved. Coincident? Maybe, but i don't think so. Its just too obvious and also McLarens and Williams performances would be explained perfectly.

Since the drivers are saying "nothing you change on the car makes a difference"- i think this clearly points in the direction of a messed up aero, not only a sidepod-concept with disadvantages. A car with messed up aero usually behaves like this. And it would explain all of Mercedes problems in my opinion.

[organic]

General discussion about the team, its drivers and performance can be posted in the team thread.

[pursue_one's]

[214270]

Slim sidepods, lack of flow control devices, flutter on that massive cantilevered floor more exaggerated = more porpoising?