Mercedes AMG F1 W04 (pre-launch speculation)

[MercAMGF1Fans]

Thanks, not that i don´t believe you but it´s always good to have a source to point to

yeah I know.. as this is a "Speculation" thread

[yener]

With Pirelli making the tyres even softer next year in predict another awfull season for Mercedes GP. I really hope that i'm wrong this time.

They just have to change their "topspeed" philosophy. Instead of aiming on the advantage of a high straight line speed they should consider to sacrifice that topspeed for more (rear) downforce.

Coanda? Yes, but only if they fully understand it and it doesnt heat up the tyres. Now they have the oppurtunity to edit the engine maps.
We saw that McLaren was the fastest at the last races. They have gone really solid on their front wing design. And that's the way it should go since rear DF is almost everything in f1.

The biggest improvement would be to gave up on the DDRS. IMO it screws up the data and balans.

Will they solve their problems?

[dren]

The car will not look very new, it can't, the regulations don't really allow for it. The W04 will look much like an evolution of the W03 with a coanda exhaust. The diffuser area will be different since it will be designed around a coanda exhaust. There will be no DDRS, so the rear will be even tighter. Maybe they will go with a pull rod front, but that's not a huge change.

[FoxHound]

The car will not look very new

I'm thinking it will be different.

the regulations don't really allow for it.

They do within reason. I'm not expecting an RB8 clone, but the car will be very well kitted out in comparison to the W03.
The reason for it is the whole ideology behind the W03 was to accommodate DDRS whilst having as big a diffuser as possible.
We saw barely any changes to the rear of the car other than exhausts and the adding or subtracting of front wing DF.
Mercedes had a fire in three departments...DDRS, their fancy suspension system and the Pirelli tyre. All three led to confusion as regards development and setup.

With a new concept, Costa can utilise real world concepts with the help of Eliott, who's record at Lotus with a smaller budget is very good.

I'm going to guess a pull rod front, with a Ferrari-esque appearance and probably a newer front wing ethos than we are accustomed.
Guessing game for sure, but a W03.5 is not going to get them where they want....and they know it.

[Cocles]

Keep in mind that with the FIA reverting the 2014 aero rules back to 2012 standards, the W05 could now very well be an evolution of the W04. This only encourages the team to go full throttle on redeveloping the W04 from the ground up. Personally, I'll just be glad to see them retire the BGP001 bloodline.

[MercAMGF1Fans]

Keep in mind that with the FIA reverting the 2014 aero rules back to 2012 standards, the W05 could now very well be an evolution of the W04. This only encourages the team to go full throttle on redeveloping the W04 from the ground up. Personally, I'll just be glad to see them retire the BGP001 bloodline.

efficiency is the aim apparently
here's benson's take on it
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20640255

[PlatinumZealot]

The car will not look very new, it can't, the regulations don't really allow for it. The W04 will look much like an evolution of the W03 with a coanda exhaust. The diffuser area will be different since it will be designed around a coanda exhaust. There will be no DDRS, so the rear will be even tighter. Maybe they will go with a pull rod front, but that's not a huge change.

There will be DDRS...

I will post a working design in January.

So look out for it folks.

[Vasconia]

Keep in mind that with the FIA reverting the 2014 aero rules back to 2012 standards, the W05 could now very well be an evolution of the W04. This only encourages the team to go full throttle on redeveloping the W04 from the ground up. Personally, I'll just be glad to see them retire the BGP001 bloodline.

True, the W04 could be the perfect base for the new car, at least aerodynamically taking into account what FIA has decided ( a decision which has deeply annoyed me because I was expecting a true revolution for 2014).

Apart from starting the season with a good car I hope that the team has learnt that constant development through all the season is basic to keep the momentum and fight for victories.

[godlameroso]

Realistically I expect Mercedes to take a step forward with next years car, with all the development time they've had this year, in addition to an established development direction and two great drivers, not to mention more Mercedes resources. That said I'm not expecting them to be half a second faster than Red Bull, Ferrari, or McLaren out of the gate. They will probably be dicing it with Lotus, and they may even snatch a win or two.

[FoxHound]

Realistically I expect Mercedes to take a step forward with next years car, with all the development time they've had this year.

Hang on a minute...how much development time have they had in comparison to others?

[user001]

Realistically I expect Mercedes to take a step forward with next years car, with all the development time they've had this year.

Hang on a minute...how much development time have they had in comparison to others?

as brawn said development/design of the w04 began more than 12 months ago (!!). i pressume as lotus began with seat designing tests and other next season research in march/april and red bull claiming to have delay with the 2013 car i very believe they already have done a reasonably amount of development.

also merc used the second half of the 2012 season almost only for testing parts and upgrades for the 2013 car. even whilst the austin race it was reported that the additional schumacher pit stop wasn't necessary at all and was only made to compare rosbergs and schumachers lap times by assimilating their race car variables during race.

the w04 will be a whole new car concept as lauda said. with that in mind i'm very adamant that they can and will improve with their rear tyre problems as it is reported that they also will give up with their mechanically very good(->monaco) but complicated suspension hydraulic system.

they will improve cause they've managed to improve in the beginning of the 2012 season. in season development will also improve compared to 2012. one because they probably won't have any "missing" staff under the season as well as a development full stop due to the wind channel changes, second simply because they won't can get worse than at the second half of the 2012 season.

[FoxHound]

Can you point to me where Brawn said that the W04 had been in development since December 2011?

[user001]

Can you point to me where Brawn said that the W04 had been in development since December 2011?

http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... ml&act=url

third passage

[Nando]

wow 12 months? That´s pretty long, almost like the Brawn machine which they developed for 18? months i believe.

Hopefully they got an ace in their sleeves that will enable them to fight for wins and poles.

[turbof1]

So called silver bullets are not there anymore. Ddrs was the device that came closest to it and it brought only very little improvement.
Mercedes need to get the tyres under control and for the rest a strong development programme. Remember that the first races they had a very strong car but got caught out with tyre and aero development. It tells me more that they work too slow, instead of lacking potentional.