2021 AMG Mercedes F1 Team

[El Scorchio]

My thoughts while watching were 'hang back and let them squabble'. It would allow Ham a clear run with full charge and tyres and brakes in the best condition with the two infront with depleted energy and probably not the best tyre state.

Yeah, exactly. Hamilton looked to be in too much of a rush, which caused him to trip over Alonso again and again.

He had to use the tyres when they had their maximum performance. Hanging back just takes life out of the tyres.

He attacked quickly because he didn't expect to have Alonso be such a road block - excellent work from Alonso, by the way - and would have wanted to have as many laps as possible attacking the front three. His approach was definitely the correct one it's just that Fernando had other ideas.

Exactly. He HAD to be in a rush as he was really running out of laps. Were it not for Raikkonen he'd probably have been able to put on the move first time and by the looks of it, catch and pass both Vettel and Ocon for the win. When he didn't, then it gave Alonso the warning that Hamilton was there.

No doubt Alonso put in extra effort defending Hamilton there, but why shouldn't he? There's the pride thing, there's wanting to show the world he's still got it, there's protecting his team mate AND there's protecting the integrity of the WCC. He couldn't just let Hamilton past easy. I liked that he said to Verstappen he did his best after the race. You would expect nothing less.

[mkay]

So much for sportsmanship.

Maybe you should focus on getting people disqualified just because they had the temerity to finish in front of Verstappen? Or encouraging a Red Bull team member to deliberately risk his life to make Verstappen's life easier?

Maybe Perez should take out Ham next race?

It's called sarcasm. My comment here was about the devious idea to offload a penalty to another team. Let's not mix threads.

It's called getting caught red handed.

To get back on topic, I am not suggesting they should do it.

In 2012, we saw Ferrari have Massa take a penalty on purpose in order to help Alonso's WDC. Don't think this is Merc's ethos, and don't think they will be that desperate, but was funny to even entertain the possibility. We know how Toto likes to play 4D chess at times.

[Big Tea]

Yeah, exactly. Hamilton looked to be in too much of a rush, which caused him to trip over Alonso again and again.

He had to use the tyres when they had their maximum performance. Hanging back just takes life out of the tyres.

He attacked quickly because he didn't expect to have Alonso be such a road block - excellent work from Alonso, by the way - and would have wanted to have as many laps as possible attacking the front three. His approach was definitely the correct one it's just that Fernando had other ideas.

Exactly. He HAD to be in a rush as he was really running out of laps. Were it not for Raikkonen he'd probably have been able to put on the move first time and by the looks of it, catch and pass both Vettel and Ocon for the win. When he didn't, then it gave Alonso the warning that Hamilton was there.

No doubt Alonso put in extra effort defending Hamilton there, but why shouldn't he? There's the pride thing, there's wanting to show the world he's still got it, there's protecting his team mate AND there's protecting the integrity of the WCC. He couldn't just let Hamilton past easy. I liked that he said to Verstappen he did his best after the race. You would expect nothing less.

I enjoyed it and would love to see more of it, but then again I am not collecting points

[zibby43]

Sorry if already posted, but I think this has pretty fascinating insight into how the development process works and what the drivers feel. Also Lewis lets the cat out of the bag re: that initially failed upgrade on the W10 brought to Germany.

We meet some of the top new players inside Brackley, too.

[Marty_Y]

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... Kvtaa.html

How Mercedes contributed to Karsten Warholm’s stunning world record performance at the Olympics

Mercedes are used to setting records on track, but the Silver Arrows have played a key part in a different type of track record this week, after Track & Field spikes they designed in collaboration with PUMA helped Karsten Warholm set an incredible new 400m men's hurdles record at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

With design input from Mercedes, the PUMA Evospeed Tokyo Future Faster+ spikes feature carbon fibre threads in the upper and a carbon plate in the sole, with each shoe weighing just 135 grams.

And Norwegian athlete Warholm used the spikes – which he and his coach Leif Olav Alnes also helped to design – to set a new World Record of 45.94s at the Tokyo Olympics on August 3, in a race some are already calling the greatest in Olympic history.

“This collaboration with PUMA has been a natural alignment – track spikes need to run fast, and racing cars need to drive fast,” said Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. “Whether you’re designing a great racing car or the perfect track spike, it comes down to engineering and putting as much performance as possible into the product.

“We have drawn on our experience and expertise in carbon fibre with the design, and along the way we learned that making an innovative track spike involves the same kind of complexity as a Formula 1 car – and it has been an exciting challenge to tackle together.”

Speaking of the tie-up, meanwhile, Warholm said: “What I feel is very unique about this project is that it combines the best of all the worlds. It combines what PUMA knows about how to make a shoe that’s comfortable and fits your foot. It combines what Mercedes knows about carbon fibre through their Formula 1 work and it combines what my coach and I know about running and the biomechanics for running.

“This is very unique and it has given us the perfect product for us to work on the track - a spike that is really aggressive, with a really good forward propulsion.”

[Marty_Y]

[ringo]

Anyone else think Hamilton could've done better, if he had taken it a bit easier after the final stop, and not start catching up to Alonso too quickly ?

One, it potentially would've given him better tires when he caught up to Alonso, and two, Alonso was chasing Sainz, so he would've used his tires more to attack.

Hamilton stood a better chance to immediately pass Alonso, after having caught up to him that way. I don't think the team + driver nailed the strategy for this part of the race.

My thoughts while watching were 'hang back and let them squabble'. It would allow Ham a clear run with full charge and tyres and brakes in the best condition with the two infront with depleted energy and probably not the best tyre state.

Yeah, exactly. Hamilton looked to be in too much of a rush, which caused him to trip over Alonso again and again.

Front calipers were overheating. Not much he could do.

[Morteza]

[DownShift Ninja]

Good day all.

Theses last 2 races has confirmed a theory I have. Mercedes were ahead of all teams for developing this years car, but late rule changes regarding the floor caught them off guard a bit. So what I believe they did was develop the car as best as they could up to winter testing. They then entered races knowing they wouldn't be as competitive as Redbull. Plus with the cost cap Mercedes wants to ensure that they are well within that, just as how they have been well with the engines per season limitations. That Is why they pulled out of wet weather tire test and don't mind Redbull getting some of their staff to help develop their engine making arm. Not having to reshuffle and or layoff those staff throughout the Mercedes auto empire is a dream come true for Toto and other senior Mercedes management big heads.

With that in mind they held off car development in terms off adding bits to the car. Changed the team mindset to that of an Indycar team where you won't be able to throw hardware on the car as you like to solve aero efficiency/deficiency issues every few races. So Mercedes are forcing themselves to learn how to resolve or mitigate those issues as best as they can until the parts come. which may be as much as 6 or seven races down the line. Also any knowledge gained is being fed into the cfd and or wind tunnel program so that when the parts do come they are that much better. This allows them to move forward with 2022 car development while efficient using what little time they have left for 2021 car development. This approach has only caused them to have at most a 7 tenths and 44 points deficit to nearest competitor which is a remarkable achievement IMHO.

Also with the restriction on engine development this year, it allowed Mercedes to compare their planned 2021 engine development with Honda's advanced from 2022 to 2021 engine development and so far based on the races Mercedes must be very happy that their 2021 engine is very competitive with what Honda had planned for 2022. However being the aggressive forward planning unit that Mercedes has been since their return to F1 I believe they have somehow unlocked a way to unleash engine performance with upgrading parts during the season so their 2nd and 3rd engines will be more powerful and deliver power better and more efficiently than the 1st engine of the 2021 season.

[adrianjordan]

I saw this earlier today and apart from the nostalgia of remembering that epic ending to the race it interested me because they say that they have preserved the moment by keeping the car as it finished the race. If that is the case what did Lewis drive the next week at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, did he have a new chassis? or am I not understanding it correctly.

Complete guess, but perhaps it's just the aero parts that they have "preserved" since they likely got replaced the following week, either like for like or with upgraded parts. Personally I think they should have replicated the flat tyre too!!

[ringo]

That chasis has only done 1 race. Based on whats written on the Tcam.
Maybe it was intentional and the team will auction this car 10 years from now.

Speaking about the cost cap. It has really forced the drivers to do a lot more simulator work.

[El Scorchio]

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... Kvtaa.html

How Mercedes contributed to Karsten Warholm’s stunning world record performance at the Olympics

Mercedes are used to setting records on track, but the Silver Arrows have played a key part in a different type of track record this week, after Track & Field spikes they designed in collaboration with PUMA helped Karsten Warholm set an incredible new 400m men's hurdles record at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

With design input from Mercedes, the PUMA Evospeed Tokyo Future Faster+ spikes feature carbon fibre threads in the upper and a carbon plate in the sole, with each shoe weighing just 135 grams.

And Norwegian athlete Warholm used the spikes – which he and his coach Leif Olav Alnes also helped to design – to set a new World Record of 45.94s at the Tokyo Olympics on August 3, in a race some are already calling the greatest in Olympic history.

“This collaboration with PUMA has been a natural alignment – track spikes need to run fast, and racing cars need to drive fast,” said Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. “Whether you’re designing a great racing car or the perfect track spike, it comes down to engineering and putting as much performance as possible into the product.

“We have drawn on our experience and expertise in carbon fibre with the design, and along the way we learned that making an innovative track spike involves the same kind of complexity as a Formula 1 car – and it has been an exciting challenge to tackle together.”

Speaking of the tie-up, meanwhile, Warholm said: “What I feel is very unique about this project is that it combines the best of all the worlds. It combines what PUMA knows about how to make a shoe that’s comfortable and fits your foot. It combines what Mercedes knows about carbon fibre through their Formula 1 work and it combines what my coach and I know about running and the biomechanics for running.

“This is very unique and it has given us the perfect product for us to work on the track - a spike that is really aggressive, with a really good forward propulsion.”

Great article. Thanks for posting! Not sure if many saw the 400m final the other night, but what a race! Warholm is the man.

[DownShift Ninja]

I am an unapologetic Lewis Hamilton fan. He is the most talented driver in the field today. However Fernando Alonso is the most race scenario intelligent driver in the field today. This is something Alonso works on actively whether or not it is a race weekend. Lewis on the other hand will rely mostly on natural talent first then only really starts to think about how to resolve the issue after several attempts at trying to resolve it his natural way.

That is why for me I love to see when Lewis Struggles because that when he develops grows as a driver.

[Marty_Y]

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... Kvtaa.html

How Mercedes contributed to Karsten Warholm’s stunning world record performance at the Olympics

Mercedes are used to setting records on track, but the Silver Arrows have played a key part in a different type of track record this week, after Track & Field spikes they designed in collaboration with PUMA helped Karsten Warholm set an incredible new 400m men's hurdles record at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

With design input from Mercedes, the PUMA Evospeed Tokyo Future Faster+ spikes feature carbon fibre threads in the upper and a carbon plate in the sole, with each shoe weighing just 135 grams.

And Norwegian athlete Warholm used the spikes – which he and his coach Leif Olav Alnes also helped to design – to set a new World Record of 45.94s at the Tokyo Olympics on August 3, in a race some are already calling the greatest in Olympic history.

“This collaboration with PUMA has been a natural alignment – track spikes need to run fast, and racing cars need to drive fast,” said Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. “Whether you’re designing a great racing car or the perfect track spike, it comes down to engineering and putting as much performance as possible into the product.

“We have drawn on our experience and expertise in carbon fibre with the design, and along the way we learned that making an innovative track spike involves the same kind of complexity as a Formula 1 car – and it has been an exciting challenge to tackle together.”

Speaking of the tie-up, meanwhile, Warholm said: “What I feel is very unique about this project is that it combines the best of all the worlds. It combines what PUMA knows about how to make a shoe that’s comfortable and fits your foot. It combines what Mercedes knows about carbon fibre through their Formula 1 work and it combines what my coach and I know about running and the biomechanics for running.

“This is very unique and it has given us the perfect product for us to work on the track - a spike that is really aggressive, with a really good forward propulsion.”

Great article. Thanks for posting! Not sure if many saw the 400m final the other night, but what a race! Warholm is the man.

Thank you, I'm glad you found it as interesting as I did. I wasn't sure if it was suitable to post because it may seem a bit off topic, but as it says the collaboration was only possible because of Mercedes F1 engineering experience and knowledge with carbon fibre that allow them to build things that are very strong but extremely light weight.

I saw the race the other night, the shoes must have helped because he didn't just break the record, he absolutely smashed it!

[Morteza]