Official FIA documents describing updates to Formula 1 cars for the Spanish Grand Prix attracted some interest on Friday, when it was highlighted that Mercedes had not made any changes to its car.
With the next European phase of the season kicking off as part of a series of five races in six weeks, Mercedes were expected to be at the forefront in Barcelona in terms of changes.
After the Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff spoke openly about new components for this race.
“It seems like we are increasing the performance every weekend and we also have new things coming, new parts that should help us in Barcelona,” he said. “So, I very much hope that we can continue this positive trajectory.”
As later revealed by Motorsport.com, the main element of this update package for Spain was a new floor, which is one of the most critical elements for the performance of current F1 cars.
Normally, the arrival of new components is formally communicated to rival teams and the media on Friday morning, when the FIA publishes what is officially known as “Car Presentation Submissions”.
This document details all the new components that teams are using, as well as explaining the purpose of these updates.
Mercedes W15 technical detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
This falls within the requirements of Article 19.1 c) of the F1 Sporting Regulations which states: “Each competitor must provide the media delegate with a summary document listing the name and a brief description of all major aerodynamic and bodywork components and assemblies which do not have been used in a previous race or in the TCC (testing of current cars) and which you intend to use in the race.”
Therefore, the absence of the new fund in the documentation presented by Mercedes for Spain suggested that the German manufacturer had hit a snag and had delayed the introduction of the new component.
But that’s not the case: the team is proceeding with the new fund.
How is it possible, then, that Mercedes introduced the new fund without having to notify the FIA? The answer lies in the specifics of what Mercedes has changed with the fund and what the rules require.
The requirements of Article 19.1 refer entirely to new “aerodynamic and bodywork” components, so basically everything that has changed shape or has been modified in a new way.
The new bottom introduced by Mercedes, in reality, does not change the profile, but only the weight, as it is simply a lighter version of the one used so far.
So, from an aerodynamic and rules point of view, it is officially identical. For this reason it was not necessary to inform the FIA.
From Mercedes’ point of view, however, a weight saving in such a low area of the car should lead to an increase in performance, especially on an aerodynamically critical track like Barcelona.
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