Vanja #66 wrote: ↑25 Feb 2023, 21:32
Its not a fan fiction and never was, its confirmed and verified during the 2022 season. I don't have a clue why Wolff and Merc are downplaying sidepod design and importance, but if they aren't faking it then they have a big and critical lack of understanding of this generation of cars.
I'm sure Mike Elliot understands it well. They would have done what they needed to do to add as much performance (or "performant attributes" as Elliot likes to say) to the car as possible!
De Jokke wrote: ↑25 Feb 2023, 20:48
Why do you need a transition spec if you already know it's a dud?
Must be very complex then
Because you need to lock in something to manufacture to have a car to test with, even if you have moved on to fiddling with something else on the computer screen. But I don't believe such a rumour. Mercedes would not make the mistake of taking an unrepresentative car to the first (and now only) test again.
F1Krof wrote: ↑25 Feb 2023, 12:22
If they don't deliver yet again this year, I think it is time for Tim Elliot to go. They can't risk getting in this trend and risk 2026 similarly.
Geeze, you can't win every year!
RonMexico wrote: ↑25 Feb 2023, 01:35
Why don't Mercedes just build a faster car?
Because they started off 2022 with the idea that running a car low and hard would be possible, and seemingly failed to include measures to mitigate porpoising in the design of the car (nor design a car that generates good downforce at higher ride heights or which had a compliant ride). So they were behind in that way, but the old car was still pretty fast and took a pole and a win!
The car definitely has a lot of potential!
Plus by all reports, the Mercedes has a pretty good ride quality in Bahrain testing 2023. So the new suspensions (increased travel at the rear?) seem to be doing the trick!