bigpat wrote: ↑04 Mar 2024, 04:43
AMG.Tzan wrote: ↑02 Mar 2024, 19:35
Watto wrote: ↑02 Mar 2024, 19:21
Toto just said in an interview they chose the wrong cooling package
I mean…they were testing there for 3 whole days plus another 3 practice sessions! They had plenty of data to select the best cooling option! So I wouldn’t say this is true…more like an excuse!
Remember that testing is conducted with cars spread out on track, and lower engine modes, so they dont suffer from the heated air when following another car.
The teams trim the cooling capacity by altering the outlet size of the exit behind the radiator. More flow through the car adds drag, so they want to minimize the loss in drag. Building cars with bigger coolers and ducts than necessary adds weight, and size.
Insufficient cooling or overheating are both factually correct.
But I would think it's more related to overheating because race day temp was cooler than on test days and we can expect that drivers don't usually push the car beyond the reasonable limit as they do during racing.
Perhaps both Merc drivers are being pushed beyond their test limits and the engine got heated up, especially during their early stint with higher fuel load, and they have to back off earlier in the race.
And yes, Toto is right to say they have chosen the wrong cooling package, or they can say they have under estimated how hard they need to drive to keep up.