Mercedes W14

A place to discuss the characteristics of the cars in Formula One, both current as well as historical. Laptimes, driver worshipping and team chatter do not belong here.
PhillipM
PhillipM
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Joined: 16 May 2011, 15:18
Location: Over the road from Boothy...

Re: Mercedes W14

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I'm still waiting for my badly photoshopped 'up-pods'

Where they just fold up from the entrance and roll the cooling all up into those upper two engine cover chutes and leave enough floor space to sleep on behind it.

Jdn1327
Jdn1327
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Joined: 07 Apr 2022, 12:47

Re: Mercedes W14

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Unfortunately this seems the case in reality. I refuse to think this sidepod concept is correct in anyway. The changes they've made have put them in the midfield. Russell complaining of aerodynamic interference on the straight

Femi
Femi
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Joined: 21 Mar 2019, 01:05

Re: Mercedes W14

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Andi76 wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 17:08
Femi wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 17:00
Andi76 wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 16:31



Well - either he's right or Toto is. Why should Wolff suddenly lie to the German media? Especially him, who has practically always said the same thing that Shovlin is still shouting down and has always (until just now) stubbornly defended the sidepods? Maybe Shovlin doesn't even know that Toto has decided to bury this concept? We will see. The fact is that Wolff has clearly stated that the sidepods will soon look very similar to those of the competition. Unfortunately there is no link. It was on Sky Germanys live broadcast before FP1 45 min. before the start of FP1.
I found this:

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... chUOU.html
This is not the Sky Germany interview. So what can I say? He clearly told Sky Germany that the new sidepods "will look similar to those of the competition".

I realize that some people don't seem to want that, and we can argue forever about what he said when and where to whom, or someone else from Mercedes. The fact is that he said to Sky Germany that the sidepods will change soon and look similar to those of the competition, addressed that many were surprised that they stayed with the concept. And when Wolff, of all people, says something like that so clearly.... His statement is very clear and he said what he said. There is nothing to discuss. Everything else has to be seen. But if you hear that from him so explicitly and clearly - then that has to mean something, I think.
I am not at all arguing. I don't believe you made it up. Just trying to help and that was the closest. A further search was LH totally at odds with the statement you heard from German TV station. I kind of recall Toto saying they have a fallback sidepod if what they have doesn't work. This was at launch. I could be wrong though, but don't think so. I suggest we wait and see...

Venturiation
Venturiation
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Joined: 04 Jan 2023, 19:48

Re: Mercedes W14

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AR3-GP wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 18:53
Andi76 wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 17:08
Femi wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 17:00


I found this:

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... chUOU.html
This is not the Sky Germany interview. So what can I say? He clearly told Sky Germany that the new sidepods "will look similar to those of the competition".

I realize that some people don't seem to want that, and we can argue forever about what he said when and where to whom, or someone else from Mercedes. The fact is that he said to Sky Germany that the sidepods will change soon and look similar to those of the competition, addressed that many were surprised that they stayed with the concept. And when Wolff, of all people, says something like that so clearly.... His statement is very clear and he said what he said. There is nothing to discuss. Everything else has to be seen. But if you hear that from him so explicitly and clearly - then that has to mean something, I think.
Andi76 you're not crazy. Ignore the people trying to downplay due to sensitivity...

Mike elliot earlier today:
“It’s part of the normal development. We have got a very different sidepod coming – I say very different, a different sidepod that’s coming. I think Toto said that in the press. But it takes time to bring that. It takes time to make the bits, it takes time to change the bits that go underneath the bodywork to fit, so we’ll bring it as soon as we can,” he said after FP1 on Friday.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... chUOU.html
whatever they bring it won't be enough the gap is now 2 years of technical developement and evolutions
and starting from zero won't make it better because there only 2 years left before the new regulations again

morefirejules08
morefirejules08
4
Joined: 11 Feb 2012, 14:21

Re: Mercedes W14

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Venturiation wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 19:26
AR3-GP wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 18:53
Andi76 wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 17:08


This is not the Sky Germany interview. So what can I say? He clearly told Sky Germany that the new sidepods "will look similar to those of the competition".

I realize that some people don't seem to want that, and we can argue forever about what he said when and where to whom, or someone else from Mercedes. The fact is that he said to Sky Germany that the sidepods will change soon and look similar to those of the competition, addressed that many were surprised that they stayed with the concept. And when Wolff, of all people, says something like that so clearly.... His statement is very clear and he said what he said. There is nothing to discuss. Everything else has to be seen. But if you hear that from him so explicitly and clearly - then that has to mean something, I think.
Andi76 you're not crazy. Ignore the people trying to downplay due to sensitivity...

Mike elliot earlier today:
“It’s part of the normal development. We have got a very different sidepod coming – I say very different, a different sidepod that’s coming. I think Toto said that in the press. But it takes time to bring that. It takes time to make the bits, it takes time to change the bits that go underneath the bodywork to fit, so we’ll bring it as soon as we can,” he said after FP1 on Friday.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... chUOU.html
whatever they bring it won't be enough the gap is now 2 years of technical developement and evolutions
and starting from zero won't make it better because there only 2 years left before the new regulations again
So what, Mercedes just stop trying for 2 years?

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organic
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Joined: 08 Jan 2022, 02:24
Location: Cambridge, UK

Re: Mercedes W14

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This is the car thread guys. Go to the team thread for this stuff. :arrow:

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ringo
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Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 10:57

Re: Mercedes W14

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They may be able to do the undercut outwash with zero pod. The floor and suspension is the next thing which I think is most impactful which will be harder to do given cost and resources.
For Sure!!

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carisi2k
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Joined: 15 Oct 2014, 23:26

Re: Mercedes W14

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Please remember that the 2026 regs are only changing for the power units. The chassis will still be the same and so there issue will be ongoing for much longer then 2 years.

Can say that I am not surprised with how poor the W14 is. Aside from the porpoising the same aerodynamic issues are still there.

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Vanja #66
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Joined: 19 Mar 2012, 16:38

Re: Mercedes W14

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Chassis will change a lot in 2026, shorter and narrower cars and active aero to add downforce while following in race
And they call it a stall. A STALL!

#DwarvesAreNaturalSprinters
#BlessYouLaddie

harty71
harty71
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Joined: 14 Nov 2022, 10:03

Re: Mercedes W14

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The car looks terrible in traction zones, biggest flaw from the onboards IMO. At peak downforce circuits I can see them being a force, forget about races that need a lot of mechanical grip, they will be terrible at firing the tyres up in cold conditions.

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organic
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Joined: 08 Jan 2022, 02:24
Location: Cambridge, UK

Re: Mercedes W14

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Article talks of the w14 being unable to use fresh rubber as effectively as other cars. Another flaw carried over from w13 to w14. Even the w12 had this to some extent with the soft tyres at some tracks. Wonder why this is engrained

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hollus
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Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Re: Mercedes W14

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A reminder to everyone but specially to the new people (welcome!).
We know the season has just started and the passions are high, but...

The car threads are specially strictly moderated in this forum. Stick to this car and to hardware in the car threads.
Team politics and other team things, please in the team threads.
Lap times, happy faces, sensations and will they be faster/slower than XYZ, either in the team threads or in the race threads.

If your post is in this thread and is not centering on this car, the physical car, it might have been or might be deleted or moved.
Let's keep the awesome car threads on this forum
a) focused on the hardware and
b) awesome.

Anyone counting how many posts land, daily, on the car threads, should see why this needed.

More than 1000 posts IN THIS THREAD ALONE and we are not in Q1 yet. Not everyone has time to read through all the fluff, so please, let's have a readable hardware thread, and put the rest in the team thread for the people that do have time to read it all.

Thanks.
Rivals, not enemies.

Venturiation
Venturiation
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Joined: 04 Jan 2023, 19:48

Re: Mercedes W14

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ringo wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 20:54
They may be able to do the undercut outwash with zero pod. The floor and suspension is the next thing which I think is most impactful which will be harder to do given cost and resources.
But they already said they and improved the suspensions for this year, are they wrong again ?

GrizzleBoy
GrizzleBoy
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Joined: 05 Mar 2012, 04:06

Re: Mercedes W14

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I was asking during testing if the car still has the issue of tire warmup from last year. I guess it still does. Wonder why though.

Maybe a lack of high energy outwash that brings warm air from the internals of the car outward toward the wheels and into the ducts etc, plus the tyres have access to fresh air due to this lack of outwash?

No idea.

Also, given that Merc knows all about toe angles and tire warmth , I wonder why they're not able to just set the suspension geometry in such a way that promotes faster surface heating of the tyres.

AR3-GP
AR3-GP
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Joined: 06 Jul 2021, 01:22

Re: Mercedes W14

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organic wrote:
03 Mar 2023, 21:36


Article talks of the w14 being unable to use fresh rubber as effectively as other cars. Another flaw carried over from w13 to w14. Even the w12 had this to some extent with the soft tyres at some tracks. Wonder why this is engrained
Interesting since the suspension (rear) is shared with another car that doesn't look like it has the same issue.
A lion must kill its prey.