Mercedes has produced the W15 car for the 2024 F1 World Championship with a lot of high hopes and expectations. The problems are not few in this start of the season, and in part, it seems like watching a car that mirrors the bizarre and unmanageable behavior of the Ferrari SF-23 from last year. Yes, because the black and grey single-seater has a big wind sensitivity issue and generally loses downforce suddenly at certain speed ranges. A wobbly rear that cannot stabilize and allow the Mercedes driver to extract its full potential. Conversely, without explanation, under certain conditions, it changes its behavior, and the performance suddenly improves, as at times happened to Ferrari’s 2023 Formula 1 car in specific track conditions.
This is the brief summary of the latest work of aeromechanical engineering from Brackley. The team led by Toto Wolff, after its dominant years until 2021, has now encountered issues ever since the assembly phase of its new Formula 1 project: once the W15 was placed on the seven-post rig, a dynamic bench that simulates track surface conditions and camber angle, an alarm was triggered regarding the mere dynamic operation on the kinematics at the rear which, as we know, has been redesigned to a push-rod system.
Once on track, the W15 revealed other key issues, as setting the ground clearance on both axles is quite difficult. Porpoising still often triggers, the tedious phenomenon that makes the car bounce, causing significant aerodynamic imbalances. On the other had, Red Bull and Ferrari have managed to control this phenomenon, allowing them to gain more downforce points. For this reason, before the Australian weekend, we had anticipated that the planned aerodynamic tests included a comparison between the two current versions of the floor available. A useful comparison to test the floor and understand if the German side has taken a wrong direction in terms of development.
More will be known in the coming days, following data analysis in the factory. In addition, the German F1 car does not have great reliability in terms of power unit components. Disguised with the excuse of a “wrong engine cover”, the performance in the opening race went under the radar but in reality, we have confirmations in this regard, the internal components of the car dedicated to cooling have a complicated location that does not allow maximum reliability in certain competitive contexts.
A tough nut to crack, in short. A controversial issue that engineers are passing around, already quite worried. In all this, is it necessarily to point fingers at someone responsible? Find a scapegoat? Generally, at such high levels, it happens that heads roll. It wouldn’t be the first time at Mercedes, we just have to see the departure of Mike Elliot, which was demoted in order to reintegrate the former Ferrari man James Allison as the head of the technical department. An operation that at this precise moment does not seem to have borne the expected fruits.
F1 | Toto Wolff Speaks Out, Criticizes But Doesn’t Give Up: Mercedes Wants to Rise Again
The fundamental problem of the German car has a “first and last name” that Ferrari has also struggled with in the last few years: lack of understanding. It’s about understanding, as the good Mattia Binotto would say. After two seasons without a clear idea, this Ferrari team seems to have finally got a clear picture about the current generation of Formula 1 cars. Team principal Frederic Vasseur has shown that in a few months, with knowledge of the cause under his arm, things can indeed improve. But let’s return to the most successful team during the hybrid era. So, as we said before, is it time to find the culprit of the situation? Is the AMG executive board in Stuttgart already doing this? Who knows. In the meantime, we can report the comments of the co-owner and team principal of Mercedes.
The fifty-two-year-old Austrian manager maintains that as a party involved, he must ensure to contribute positively and creatively. For this reason, he defines himself ready to listen to ideas that may help improve the situation, seeing that the ambitious Mercedes boss is strongly intent on overturning this negative situation as soon as possible. Every morning in front of the mirror at home, he looks at himself and asks if everything he does is correct. But his position is certainly not simple, not being a mere investor who can call himself out.
On the contrary, his attention is maximum, as well as the self-criticism towards himself. However, the moment is really delicate, because although he tries to be optimistic, everything seems tremendously difficult. Especially because the team was convinced that the W15 could represent a turning point right away compared to the last two disappointing seasons. And although Mercedes has made huge technical and economic efforts in Formula 1, there is still something they can’t see and immediately correct. Therefore, until they understand why, it will not be at all possible to start fixing things.
There is a plan: to dig deep. To dive into the most hidden recesses of the mind to increase the understanding of the W15. To take inspiration from McLaren and Ferrari, which by taking the right path have produced a fundamentally strong car, with some limits, but still “understandable” and capable of reacting to tuning. The setup window must be widened to always find the correct working point beyond the car’s maximum potential. Arriving at the end, another question spontaneously arises: will they really succeed or will they continue to dwell in this unfruitful limbo as in the recent past?
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