Leading German automobile magazine ‘Auto motor und sport’ reports on Ferrari and Mercedes’ plans for the 2020 Formula One season. Quoting a Mercedes engineer, AMuS informs: “Ferrari has the faster car in one lap. They have improved their car so much that they barely lose any time in the corners now. Only in the chicane (Suzuka) they were slower, on all other corners they were on our level…”
That is a worrying prospect for Mercedes, especially given the fact that Suzuka has been known in recent year as the Mercedes territory. Lots of different corners and a track on which Scuderia Ferrari used to have problems in that area in the past. Mercedes also introduced their last aero development for this year there.
Mercedes engineers don’t want to distract themselves with the early title win as a resulf of the race win in Suzuka and are very critical of themselves: “If the season had only started in August and Ferrari wouldn’t make so many mistakes, we wouldn’t have won the title.”
Now both Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes look to 2020 with concern. What is the better concept? Drive into the front row with power and good drag and control the race from the top? Or go for maximum downforce and fight back in the race? According to ‘Auto motor und sport’, Ferrari and Mercedes want to stick to their philosophies for the 2020 Formula One season, which means we could have an interesting battle at the front, as the Maranello team should have the upper hand in qualifying, but will then have to find the best strategy to defend against their rivals.
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