Mercedes-AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+

[Mr.G]

Yes, Blankets still allowed, Max allowed temp down from 100 to 80 degrees Celsius. So below optimal temperature. Making pitting more time costly I would say, extra heat up time so extra caution needed for a longer time.

I have wondered if this is why several times during testing Merc has run a stint where the first lap of a stint was 0.5 to like 1.5 seconds faster than the subsequent laps. James Allen has mentioned several times over the winter that a goal was to make the car gentler on its tires.

If they can tune the suspension in a way that allows them to bring the tires up to temp in the first lap or two (if you include the out lap), without seriously damming them, that might pay dividends if others have to baby them more. Being gentler on the tires overall might be more beneficial this year than in years past.

Imo, the last stint of Leclerc's race sim today showed the tires might be very finicky. He put in two really quick laps at the beginning of the stint, and then over the next 6 laps he had roughly 1.5 seconds of degradation before the times leveled out.

Regarding LEC - do we know if he has had new tires for the last stint? Even so, we don't know if it was drop or changed power mode...

[Morteza]

Via AMuS

[Sieper]

Yes, Blankets still allowed, Max allowed temp down from 100 to 80 degrees Celsius. So below optimal temperature. Making pitting more time costly I would say, extra heat up time so extra caution needed for a longer time.

I have wondered if this is why several times during testing Merc has run a stint where the first lap of a stint was 0.5 to like 1.5 seconds faster than the subsequent laps. James Allen has mentioned several times over the winter that a goal was to make the car gentler on its tires.

If they can tune the suspension in a way that allows them to bring the tires up to temp in the first lap or two (if you include the out lap), without seriously damming them, that might pay dividends if others have to baby them more. Being gentler on the tires overall might be more beneficial this year than in years past.

Imo, the last stint of Leclerc's race sim today showed the tires might be very finicky. He put in two really quick laps at the beginning of the stint, and then over the next 6 laps he had roughly 1.5 seconds of degradation before the times leveled out.

That could very well be, it will absolutely be an important factor in the actual races. Good forward thinking.

[Morteza]

They are monitoring the tires with this camera?

[F1Krof]

They are monitoring the tires with this camera?
https://imgr2.auto-motor-und-sport.de/V ... 432628.jpg

Just a GO-Pro ad.

[Just_a_fan]

They are monitoring the tires with this camera?
https://imgr2.auto-motor-und-sport.de/V ... 432628.jpg

More likely the front wing. The camera is in front of the tyre and facing forwards rather than sideways. Looks to be angled at the front wing flaps, perhaps to see some deflection or vibration somewhere.

[Phil]

Edit: Damn; wrong topic in my excitement. Please delete.

[roon]

Regarding the crash structure winglets, it's rare to see the leading flaps smaller than the trailing flaps.

[Just_a_fan]

They're acting like leading edge slats on an aircraft wing. The flow must be approaching that device quite steeply from below. Those little flaps help encourage the air to flow over the main flap. That way they'll get a stronger vortex to interact with the device above the diffuser.

[GrandAxe]

The mind boggles at just how pencil-thin Merc have managed to make their car.
Look ma, no sidepods! I found this image on reddit:

[GrizzleBoy]

The cooling exits usually found either side of the driver/halo on top of the sidepods are closed up too.

Maybe they're pretty confident about the reliability and cooling of their shrink wrap?

[GPR-A]

Look at the blue lines that I have drawn, Ferrari seems to be using as much floor area as they can, whereas Mercedes isn't.
Look at the green line and Ferrari seems to have kept the side pod opening as far back as they can and Mercedes is quite far forward.
Ferrari's front wing seems to be much wider (the box drawn).

Click to Enlarge

[mantikos]

Look at the blue lines that I have drawn, Ferrari seems to be using as much floor area as they can, whereas Mercedes isn't.
Look at the green line and Ferrari seems to have kept the side pod opening as far back as they can and Mercedes is quite far forward.
Ferrari's front wing seems to be much wider (the box drawn).

Click to Enlarge

https://i.imgur.com/Mi2Md8S.jpg

Different angles

[paddyf1]

Look at the blue lines that I have drawn, Ferrari seems to be using as much floor area as they can, whereas Mercedes isn't.
Look at the green line and Ferrari seems to have kept the side pod opening as far back as they can and Mercedes is quite far forward.
Ferrari's front wing seems to be much wider (the box drawn).

Click to Enlarge

https://i.imgur.com/Mi2Md8S.jpg

The angles are different so you cant compare like that.

[De Jokke]

Is anyone expecting another new front wing (iteration) in Melbourne as it has been like 3 weeks since test 1, so plenty of time to build another one after testing week 1 data/feedback, no? Or will merc go with the 'dicknose' from testing week 2 nonetheless, you think?