The manufacturer from Germany is striving to regain a leading position in grand prix racing, but there is still progress to be made before they can compete with Red Bull and consistently win races based on speed alone.
While an upgrade package introduced at the Monaco Grand Prix helped deliver a step forward in form, it continues working hard to try to unlock more performance from the W14.
Lewis Hamilton discussed the challenges Mercedes encounters in their pursuit of the desired progress, as he addressed the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.
He mentioned that there are simulations using the new rules we have, as well as the new tools we had to develop in order to comprehend the flow structures beneath the vehicle.
The vortices present underneath the car are truly fascinating and would amaze you. They differ greatly from the vortices in older car models. However, understanding and comprehending them requires a significant amount of time and effort.
Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, has provided further explanation regarding the challenges his team is currently facing. He highlights that they have not yet achieved the same level of dominance as they did with the previous set of rules.
“He mentioned that with the previous regulations, which we had a solid understanding of, there was no need to think about the car in the same dynamic manner.”
“You were just saying it’s at a certain roll angle, steer angle, certain ride heights and in doing that, you could capture what was going on.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director, Mercedes-AMG, in the team principals Press Conference
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
The flow patterns beneath our vehicle, as well as all vehicles, have become increasingly intricate and dynamic.
“And what Lewis meant was that as other teams have had to adapt their tools to handle these new aero regulations, we are reaching a point where the correlation is strong and we can begin to comprehend the impact of modifications.”
“I cannot reword.”
Shovlin mentioned that achieving quick advancements with a car during the cost cap era was significantly more challenging. This was due to teams needing to thoroughly evaluate the implementation of new components.
He also believed it played a role in Red Bull’s ability to maintain their lead.
He stated that under the current regulations, it is challenging for teams to catch up if they introduce a competitive car within a specified budget limit.
“If you have a high-performing vehicle, there is no need to constantly make updates to it every week. Red Bull began from a strong position.”
“I cannot reword”
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