Last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, the W14 from the German manufacturer received a notable enhancement with the addition of fresh sidepods and an upgraded floor.
But, the timing of that coincided with Mercedes struggling to control bouncing on the straightaways, which turned out to be their major challenge in 2022.
Wolff emphasizes the urgency of finding prompt explanations for the reappearance of the phenomenon that the team believed it had successfully resolved. He elaborated on the extent to which this issue had overshadowed their entire weekend.
Wolff clarified that the primary constraint was the constant bouncing of the car on every straight section.
“Blanchimont, a corner where Lewis had to ease off, is typically an effortless flat. However, when bouncing on the straight, the tires overheat due to braking, creating a harmful cycle.”
“The primary constraint over the weekend was this. It is disheartening to disconnect during the holiday period in this manner, however, we must gain a better comprehension in the upcoming days by analyzing the data.”
Wolff ponders the reason behind the reappearance of bouncing and speculates that the upgrades introduced in Belgium could have played a role. However, he remains steadfast in his belief that the team’s current development focus is the correct decision.
“We need to examine it,” he stated. “There has been a significant amount of effort put into the upgrade. The individuals involved in aeronautics and the operations required to implement the upgrade deserve recognition.”
Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG
Photo by: Michael Potts / Motorsport Images
“I believe the floor may have caused the bouncing we experienced, however, we will confirm this once we analyze the data.”
“I think there might be something we must discover, as I continue to have faith in the current path we are taking.”
George Russell, the driver for Mercedes, finds it disappointing that the bouncing issue at Spa has not been resolved, even though other teams also experienced it.
“He mentioned that we experienced significant bouncing.”
Several teams, perhaps not to the same extent as us, also experienced difficulties with bouncing. It is unfortunate to witness that, despite being a top-tier motorsport, most teams are still grappling with this issue.
“I am optimistic that a resolution can be found in that matter in the future.”
Adam Cooper also contributed to the reporting of this information.
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