Mercedes W11

[Seanspeed]

at the moment it looks like Merc are using this on the straights only, this affects the toe and straight line speed of the car. In simple terms that's the general thinking right now anyway.

This morning we've seen a kind of binary setting. In/Out or On/Off...so my question is could we see this developed further or has further development already been done and we're just yet to see it? Could we see the steering wheel be moved to lesser degrees based on high/medium/low speed corners or just purely based on corner types, the snail like T2 at China or various corners around Monaco etc?

Is the only benefit with this system on straights?

Should have a tremendous advantage for tire wear.

[Jip]

[djones]

The rules are clear - suspension changes can only be made when the car is stationary, so the system is 100% illegal.

I wonder if Mercedes will get as much stick as Williams did last year for having something so clearly against the rules on their car.

1. Its not a suspension change. If it is then turning the steering wheel is also a suspension change.

2. I'm confident the 6 times back-to-back champions Mercedes know if something is or is not "100% illegal".

[GPR-A]

The rules are clear - suspension changes can only be made when the car is stationary, so the system is 100% illegal.

I wonder if Mercedes will get as much stick as Williams did last year for having something so clearly against the rules on their car.

Toe adjustment IS NOT SUSPENSION change! Most teams get clarifications from FIA when they are implementing their ideas for their legality. Once they have sufficient discussion around it and find it to be perfectly within the framework of legality, it's then implemented. Mercedes have more to lose if they irresponsibility went ahead and implemented something that is, let alone being legal, even doubtful. FIA has already said, it's legal. But they want to see if it is also safe.

[rohan]

The rules are clear - suspension changes can only be made when the car is stationary, so the system is 100% illegal.

I wonder if Mercedes will get as much stick as Williams did last year for having something so clearly against the rules on their car.

you haven't been reading have you otherwise you would have read the counter argument to your accusation

I've read the counter-arguments and they just don't hold any water.

[214270]

Bravo Mercedes...

Legal or illegal

[NathanOlder]

The rules are clear - suspension changes can only be made when the car is stationary, so the system is 100% illegal.

I wonder if Mercedes will get as much stick as Williams did last year for having something so clearly against the rules on their car.

But its not adjusting the suspension

[i70q7m7ghw]

Exactly what I said earlier, they would have already invited an FIA delegate to assess it when they were developing it. McLaren did exactly the same when they came up with the f-duct.

This isn't going to be instantly banned, it'll have to go through the protest process which will take months, so people have stop beating the "100% illegal" drum now.

[Just_a_fan]

The rules are clear - suspension changes can only be made when the car is stationary, so the system is 100% illegal.

I wonder if Mercedes will get as much stick as Williams did last year for having something so clearly against the rules on their car.

If it's illegal then steering is illegal as steering changes the suspension settings.

[F1Krof]

I do not believe that is what is going on. It could be for driver's preference, since they're sharing the car with Bottas.

But that is something they would change in the garage, not spend what must be a huge lot of resources on suspension mechanisms and packaging, just so the driver can adjust it on the fly. This is definitely something they want to run for the races.

We do not know it connects to the suspension for sure. Only Merc (and FIA) knows it for sure. We're all speculating at this point. Who knows maybe it is what everybody is suspecting, maybe it is for driver comfort adjustment, maybe it is because of the driver swap, or even maybe it is red herring to throw everybody out while the "real" devil is somewhere else completely.

I just don't know why would a team invest so much in money, and potentially hindering the development in that particular area when something like this could easily be protested and banned.

[214270]

Scarbs:

[214270]

Marc Priestley:

[turbof1]

I do not believe that is what is going on. It could be for driver's preference, since they're sharing the car with Bottas.

But that is something they would change in the garage, not spend what must be a huge lot of resources on suspension mechanisms and packaging, just so the driver can adjust it on the fly. This is definitely something they want to run for the races.

We do not know it connects to the suspension for sure. Only Merc (and FIA) knows it for sure. We're all speculating at this point. Who knows maybe it is what everybody is suspecting, maybe it is for driver comfort adjustment, maybe it is because of the driver swap, or even maybe it is red herring to throw everybody out while the "real" devil is somewhere else completely.

I just don't know why would a team invest so much in money, and potentially hindering the development in that particular area when something like this could easily be protested and banned.

-We can definitely see the toe angle changing.
-We can definitely see the steering wheel being pulled backwards and pushed forwards.

That's not speculation, that is what is visible present. A team would never introduce a whole heap of complexity into a "on the go toe adjustment" feature for driver comfort/preference. If that was the sole purpose, they just burned a few millions and a lot of time at least on something they can do in the garage as well. It is a very safe assumption they do this for performance.

I can't say if this idea will stick legally. Mercedes will definitely try.

[Sawtooth-spike]

The rules are clear - suspension changes can only be made when the car is stationary, so the system is 100% illegal.

I wonder if Mercedes will get as much stick as Williams did last year for having something so clearly against the rules on their car.

you haven't been reading have you otherwise you would have read the counter argument to your accusation

I've read the counter-arguments and they just don't hold any water.

What more likely, Merc running a system that they know is 100% illegal for fun or They have found a loop hole to exploit that is in a nice grey area of the rules?

Its only Illegal until the FIA say so.

[jetho]

The rules are clear - suspension changes can only be made when the car is stationary, so the system is 100% illegal.

I wonder if Mercedes will get as much stick as Williams did last year for having something so clearly against the rules on their car.

Toe adjustment IS NOT SUSPENSION change! Most teams get clarifications from FIA when they are implementing their ideas for their legality. Once they have sufficient discussion around it and find it to be perfectly within the framework of legality, it's then implemented. Mercedes have more to lose if they irresponsibility went ahead and implemented something that is, let alone being legal, even doubtful. FIA has already said, it's legal. But they want to see if it is also safe.

Not saying there is anything wrong with what you said, but FRIC was also legal...until it wasn't.
I'm sure Merc has cleared the idea before with the FIA. I'm also sure that the other teams will raise some points with the FIA and apply some pressure.
I'm definietly not sure that the initial 'OK' Mercedes got from the FIA will hold ture until Melbourne. This is a legal/political battle from now on. Who knows who will win...a new technical derective can change things pretty quickly.