2024 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[Matt2725]

Heavy does of caution required here. Unless we're assuming Williams is fastest all of a sudden?

[SiLo]

Testing times mean literally nothing.

[Luscion]

[Lasssept]

https://x.com/sim3744/status/1866938790088151435

[Lasssept]

AMuS

In Abu Dhabi, Mercedes employees let slip what they want to focus on with the successor to the W15: it's regarding the car's rear axle. It often did not work as desired. Especially at high temperatures, the rear tyres wore out too quickly.

This is also demonstrated by the problems that customer Aston Martin has. Aston Martin uses the same rear axle as the works team. McLaren, another customer team of Mercedes, snatched the constructors' crown this year. However, McLaren build the rear axle themselves.

While Aston Martin in Abu Dhabi talked about focusing more on the aerodynamic influence of the sensitive rear, Mercedes will rather look for deficiencies in the mechanical area and aims to eliminate them.

Aerodynamically, the Mercedes was definitely not a flop, as the successes in Silverstone and Spa showed. The view of competitor Ferrari also makes Mercedes confident.

Scuderia Ferrari were able to resolve their tyre wear issues from 2023 to 2024. If Ferrari managed to do it, why not Mercedes, the engineers in the team ask themselves ?

https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... -neustart/
https://x.com/JunaidSamodien_/status/18 ... 8393452985

[Lasssept]

[OverheatedTurbo]

AMuS

In Abu Dhabi, Mercedes employees let slip what they want to focus on with the successor to the W15: it's regarding the car's rear axle. It often did not work as desired. Especially at high temperatures, the rear tyres wore out too quickly.

This is also demonstrated by the problems that customer Aston Martin has. Aston Martin uses the same rear axle as the works team. McLaren, another customer team of Mercedes, snatched the constructors' crown this year. However, McLaren build the rear axle themselves.

While Aston Martin in Abu Dhabi talked about focusing more on the aerodynamic influence of the sensitive rear, Mercedes will rather look for deficiencies in the mechanical area and aims to eliminate them.

Aerodynamically, the Mercedes was definitely not a flop, as the successes in Silverstone and Spa showed. The view of competitor Ferrari also makes Mercedes confident.

Scuderia Ferrari were able to resolve their tyre wear issues from 2023 to 2024. If Ferrari managed to do it, why not Mercedes, the engineers in the team ask themselves ?

https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... -neustart/
https://x.com/JunaidSamodien_/status/18 ... 8393452985

So it is related to the rear suspension.

[Chuckjr]

How epic would it be if Merc fixed their ultra-tight window with some better suspension components, and they come out swinging with Macca for first place in 2025. Hope Antonelli has some good sense, calm nerves, and able to keep within a few 10ths of George. I agree with those in here who think it’s a bit early, but Lewis bailed so…the kid gets an early shot. I think George is ready to hold the team, and certainly is showing some additional speed this year. He is clearly getting faster, and his ability to hold focus till the end is improving. I expect him to be even faster next year. He also seems to be a good teammate and team player. Really looking forward to next year.

[KimiRai]

Aston Martin ex-TD (now sacked) Dan Fallows showed a certain hint of slight frustration about the inherited 2024 Merc suspension when asked in February by The Race. Williams remained with the 2023 suspension, although not sure whether that was due to performance or cost reasons

That client team(s?) had possibly found a flaw in Mercedes' design while they themselves could not does not speak very well of Mercedes. Hamilton might have made the right choice to leave

[mstar]

Something with the rear made it inconsistent especially for lewis whose attacking style relies on a stable / consistent rear end. I hope merc do not go backwards as designing the rear is no small task.

[PlatinumZealot]

Lewis like a pointy car. He lives with instability just fine. The problem is that the stability with this car is not predictable. A unicycle is unstable. A unicycle with spokes that changing length and stiffness with wind direction and temperature changes is also unstable, but not any more so. The problem is the behavior of the unicycle is now abnormal. It's not something you can "adapt" to. Your style is either tolerant of it or not.

[Jurgen von Diaz]

F1 is about adaptation. If your teammate is performing better, he is adapting better. Age is slowing your reactions, raw pace, and making adaptation harder.

[Luscion]

Lewis like a pointy car. He lives with instability just fine. The problem is that the stability with this car is not predictable. A unicycle is unstable. A unicycle with spokes that changing length and stiffness with wind direction and temperature changes is also unstable, but not any more so. The problem is the behavior of the unicycle is now abnormal. It's not something you can "adapt" to. Your style is either tolerant of it or not.

https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... -wm-titel/

Pretty much what you said

Hamilton admits that he was at war with these cars from the outset because his driving style is not compatible with them. Braking and turning in at the same time is only possible to a limited extent. If you drive too aggressively, you pay for it. The peculiarity of the Mercedes that it quickly lost downforce at the rear when the front wheels were turned in didn't help either. “I can actually live with oversteer, but not with one that comes out of nowhere.”

[Lasssept]

https://x.com/F1/status/1868320360330068306

[PlatinumZealot]

George is ready to lead the team now. Lewis sensei did well in training and developing him.