I don;t really think so; Williams doesn't have, and won't get they have now decided, a mule car for such tests; Russell doing the work does indeed help Mercedes learn to work with him, but it also helps their two drivers get a rest and do something else, which I think is more likely what's behind it.
I do not think you can compare anything with the mule car and the test tires. Furthermore the drivers have the clear target to keep the car on the track, they are well off the limit.
Mercedes stopped W12 aero work ‘a long time ago’
Date published: August 16 2021 - Henry Valantine
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says the team have made good progress with their 2021 car but stopped developing the aero package “a long time ago”.
Having seen their car on a relatively even footing compared to rivals Red Bull early in the season, their competitors had been bringing regular upgrades to their car and extended the gap to Mercedes, which led to five victories in a row for Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez.
But after both Red Bull cars were involved in accidents in the two races before the summer break, Mercedes were able to leapfrog their main title challengers and take the lead of both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships as F1 shut down halfway through the season.
While Mercedes and Red Bull continue to fight for the World Championship though, the boss of the Silver Arrows has said their improvements have now halted – even with both titles in the balance.
“In terms of aerodynamic development, we stopped a long time ago,” Wolff said.
“The last development stopped in spring and the last upgrade that was then produced we brought to Silverstone, and that upgrade functions.
“We have made a step forward.”
The implementation of a budget cap in Formula 1 for the first time has led to teams watching their expenses and having to focus their resources on next year’s cars earlier than usual – even more so given the sweeping regulation changes coming in 2022.
Given Wolff feels there could be as many as six teams in next season’s fight for the World Championship – with the regulations surrounding the cars becoming tighter – he acknowledges every second of development counts when it comes to getting their next car right.
If they falter or do not maximise their potential in developing their new challenger, Wolff says there could be consequences beyond the first few races of 2022.
“You always have to balance the sport’s interest versus the long term,” explained Wolff, quoted by GP Fans Global. “Next year’s regulations will be with us for a few years.
“You can’t just ignore it because if you have a deficit at the beginning of next season, that could take a long time until you catch up, so we always stick to our strategy. In a way, we didn’t change course, we kept on our paths.”
There are some, myself included, who feel that RBR are throwing everything at this season because they know they might be on the back foot until the new PU regs come in...
I think you are forgetting about 2 significant factors, the Merc aero upgrade and new Pirelli rears, that both debuted in Silverstone. In normal qualifying Merc looked several tenths faster than Redbull. Also Merc hasn't introduced a fuel or oil upgrade yet, so they will most likely get a PU boost when they do that.ringo wrote: ↑17 Aug 2021, 06:56The remaining tracks.. seem to be redbull tracks. And this is even comparing 2020 w11 and RB16. Now we have a much stronger RB16B. For sure Max can win all remaining races. Mercedes are planning for the dificulty ahead i hope.
Monza seems to the only one they can win on Merrit and maybe Zandvoort. The rest.. just look like Redbull stomping grounds.
Is it possible that RB may be 'borrowing' Alpha Tauri wind tunnel/CFD time to develop? At this point, given the slew of aero upgrades RB has introduced to date this season, it's not just a question of staying within the budget cap, but also staying within the allotted CFD/wind tunnel time (which RB has less of given they were 1st in WCC at the end of June)adrianjordan wrote: ↑17 Aug 2021, 01:30There are some, myself included, who feel that RBR are throwing everything at this season because they know they might be on the back foot until the new PU regs come in...
Keep in mind Merc stopped developing the W11 very early on last season, whilst RB continued developing right until the end.ringo wrote: ↑17 Aug 2021, 06:56The remaining tracks.. seem to be redbull tracks. And this is even comparing 2020 w11 and RB16. Now we have a much stronger RB16B. For sure Max can win all remaining races. Mercedes are planning for the dificulty ahead i hope.
Monza seems to the only one they can win on Merrit and maybe Zandvoort. The rest.. just look like Redbull stomping grounds.
The had issues in silverstone as well.