George Russell fifth, in the third row, and Lewis Hamilton, seventh in the fourth: 78 thousandths of a second behind. Little more than nothing. The youngest Englishman chose to qualify for the Monaco GP with a new wing, while the seven-time world champion used the standard version.
George had the only example available but he played it anyway, because the Brackley technicians want to understand why the W15 on the track is so different from the car they study in simulation.
Russell accepted a bet: the wing, but in reality the modification also involves the nose, should have made its debut in the Spanish GP. The Blakley factory is working under tight deadlines with the aim of anticipating the modification already in Canada and, in the meantime, the first example has been ready and has been taken with a certain courage to Monte Carlo.
On Friday in FP1 the solution had to be evaluated in a simple comparative test, but the numbers seen advised James Allison’s staff to insist not only in the other free practice sessions, but also in qualifying and then today in the race.
In short, Mercedes, aware of having an aerodynamic stability problem, unlike Ferrari which introduces innovations only when scheduled, tries to gain time even on a track like that of the Principality which gives little to aerodynamics.
Mercedes W15: here is Hamilton’s wing still with the “cable”
Picture of: Giorgio Piola
This is a front wing that is more inspired by the concepts of 2023, renouncing the idea that had caused a certain stir at the beginning of 2024 when on the W15 a portion of the mobile flap, the one closest to the chassis, had left the placed on a carbon “cable”.
The FIA had established that the Star’s stunt fully complied with Article 3.9.1 e) of the technical regulations. At Brackley they had looked for a solution that would serve to reduce the resistance to progress, in the hope of being able to better manage the air flow at the front of the car to help increase the air flow at the bottom.
The “cable”, but not only that, would have generated vortices which, as the speed varied, would have changed the behavior of the W15 in both high and low corners, so a front part was designed that was more in line with the choices of the competition, trying to implement the out wash effect inside the side bulkhead.
Detail of the new Mercedes W15 wing
Picture of: Giorgio Piola
Detail of the old Mercedes W15 wing that Hamilton uses
Picture of: Giorgio Piola
It is therefore appropriate to talk about a totally new front wing as an idea, which is not limited to repealing the “cable”. Now a full-width adjustable flap has been restored with a different attachment to the nose which has a slightly revised nose on the tip, given that the second element on which it rests has returned to having a more arrow shape and with a decidedly increased chord especially near the side bulkhead.
The chord of the two upper flaps, therefore, is shorter especially in the third element, trying to direct the flows outside the front wheel. Mercedes plays a surprise card on a track that is not very representative in terms of aerodynamics, but things are bad in the team and collecting useful data to understand what needs to be changed can help direct development towards a second part of the championship that is less problematic than the first .
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