Mercedes W15

[atanatizante]

Some upgrades and local updates for Silverstone:
(source F1TV)

[CjC]

Also the fact the drivers are saying only small changes have improved the implies to me that they are trying to talk down what they have been doing upgrade wise. We all already know they have changed a fair few bits already.

https://www.racefans.net/2024/07/06/mer ... -lock-out/

[CjC]

Mark Huges is not the man for technical updates. He tries but always makes a mess of it. He is more in the Peter Windsor vein; great at writing the more human side of the story. Actually Peter windsor can be technical but more to do with driving techniques.

In his defence the article isn’t about the suspension in question he mentioned it in passing. I posted it to start the process of confirming the suspicions

[stonehenge]

Also the fact the drivers are saying only small changes have improved the implies to me that they are trying to talk down what they have been doing upgrade wise. We all already know they have changed a fair few bits already.

https://www.racefans.net/2024/07/06/mer ... -lock-out/

This kind of goes to a major question I’ve been trying to get answered: how much of Mercedes’ new found pace is the result of absolute gains and how much is the result of widening the car's setup window? Obviously, I know that that’s not as easy of a distinction as I made it seem, but what I’m trying to understand is how much “firepower” Mercedes could have left for the remainder of the season. If they’ve made most of their progress by better understanding the car and bringing small bits here and there to widen the window, then perhaps they still have enough resources to bring more major upgrades than other teams. I mean Ferrari brought basically a B-spec car. Mercedes has brought…a new front wing?

[CjC]

Also the fact the drivers are saying only small changes have improved the implies to me that they are trying to talk down what they have been doing upgrade wise. We all already know they have changed a fair few bits already.

https://www.racefans.net/2024/07/06/mer ... -lock-out/

This kind of goes to a major question I’ve been trying to get answered: how much of Mercedes’ new found pace is the result of absolute gains and how much is the result of widening the car's setup window? Obviously, I know that that’s not as easy of a distinction as I made it seem, but what I’m trying to understand is how much “firepower” Mercedes could have left for the remainder of the season. If they’ve made most of their progress by better understanding the car and bringing small bits here and there to widen the window, then perhaps they still have enough resources to bring more major upgrades than other teams. I mean Ferrari brought basically a B-spec car. Mercedes has brought…a new front wing?

I’m not a Mercedes fan so I have no idea. All I can go off is what I’ve read or heard in the media. As far as I’m aware Merc have brought an update to every race since Miami so they have been using up some of their munition. I would expect to see a sidepod inlet change at some point this season though.
It’s does seem the teams seem to be bringing upgrades punch for punch each weekend but considering Merc are further away from the performance ceiling they are making greater gains.

[stonehenge]

Also the fact the drivers are saying only small changes have improved the implies to me that they are trying to talk down what they have been doing upgrade wise. We all already know they have changed a fair few bits already.

https://www.racefans.net/2024/07/06/mer ... -lock-out/

This kind of goes to a major question I’ve been trying to get answered: how much of Mercedes’ new found pace is the result of absolute gains and how much is the result of widening the car's setup window? Obviously, I know that that’s not as easy of a distinction as I made it seem, but what I’m trying to understand is how much “firepower” Mercedes could have left for the remainder of the season. If they’ve made most of their progress by better understanding the car and bringing small bits here and there to widen the window, then perhaps they still have enough resources to bring more major upgrades than other teams. I mean Ferrari brought basically a B-spec car. Mercedes has brought…a new front wing?

I’m not a Mercedes fan so I have no idea. All I can go off is what I’ve read or heard in the media. As far as I’m aware Merc have brought an update to every race since Miami so they have been using up some of their munition. I would expect to see a sidepod inlet change at some point this season though.
It’s does seem the teams seem to be bringing upgrades punch for punch each weekend but considering Merc are further away from the performance ceiling they are making greater gains.

They’ve brought stuff nothing huge. “Bits and pieces” as James Allison called it. The floor in Austria was the same shape but lighter in weight (not that that doesn’t give you a performance boost, it just isn’t an upgrade in the traditional sense). Really the only major upgrade I can think of was the new front wing, which they introduced in Monaco. James Allison gave a super interesting interview in Canada where he explained that the team had a sort of “aha” moment (although he explained it more as a “how could we have been so dumb” moment). So far, the only thing that “aha” moment has produced has been small parts changing the balance of the car to have a better sweet spot. That’s why I’m quite confident Mercedes has something else cooking that will build upon this new foundation. Could be wrong, but let’s see.

[mrsweet]

Some upgrades and local updates for Silverstone:
(source F1TV)

https://postimg.cc/q60TNch3

How quick was the mockup on that piece? Imprint from the block of wood used as the mold?

edit: i suppose those could be milling marks from a cnc, but still

[maygun]

Also the fact the drivers are saying only small changes have improved the implies to me that they are trying to talk down what they have been doing upgrade wise. We all already know they have changed a fair few bits already.

https://www.racefans.net/2024/07/06/mer ... -lock-out/

This kind of goes to a major question I’ve been trying to get answered: how much of Mercedes’ new found pace is the result of absolute gains and how much is the result of widening the car's setup window? Obviously, I know that that’s not as easy of a distinction as I made it seem, but what I’m trying to understand is how much “firepower” Mercedes could have left for the remainder of the season. If they’ve made most of their progress by better understanding the car and bringing small bits here and there to widen the window, then perhaps they still have enough resources to bring more major upgrades than other teams. I mean Ferrari brought basically a B-spec car. Mercedes has brought…a new front wing?

I think it is more than the car's setup window but more of the aero balance of the car. You might be producing enough downforce, but not at the right time at the right places. I think the reason for the first-floor update at Miami and the front wing at Monaco was for this. Austria and Silverstone's upgrades were drag-reducing upgrades. I guess right now they have more confidence in the floor's performance, hence they don't have to rely on wings to produce required downforce.

[Matt2725]

As I understand it, much of it was about getting the car in a good spot where they can build from.

Performance updates to come in Hungary and Spa, and allegedly further upgrades to come after the summer break.

Could see the W15 as the fastest car on the grid before the end of the season.

[deadhead]

I saw a picture of it exposed on x earlier ..it’s a “3rd element” that connects both sides of the suspension

link?

this should be it https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-me ... /10632343/

That’s not it.

I saw a really nice close up of it on x but I can’t find the post.

[AR3-GP]

[Tzk]

How quick was the mockup on that piece? Imprint from the block of wood used as the mold?
edit: i suppose those could be milling marks from a cnc, but still

I'd rather say it is 3D printed. SLM printing (powder is solidified with a laser, layer by layer) nylon usually looks like this. A common rapid-prototyping approach when you need things fast and cheap.

You can stop the layer lines and a tiny bit of roughness on the surface.

[Henk_v]

Could be both. Either an additieven manuafacturing artefact or milling marks. And then it could be the piece itself or the tooling.

Given the minuscule size, I'd guess the part is 3D printed.

[cheeRS]

Seems plausible to me. When I think of James A. + Merc, I think of suspension novelty and genius.

[Holm86]

So Mercedes problems have always been suspension tuning, and not aero.

So back to zeropods for 2025??