Mercedes AMG F1 W06 Hybrid

The Mercedes AMG F1 Team unveiled its 2015 Formula One World Championship challenger, the F1 W06 Hybrid, ahead of the first day of pre-season testing at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain. Drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg revealed the seventh Silver Arrow to compete in the Formula One World Championship to the assembled media, with Nico Rosberg then taking the wheel for the opening test session of the 2015 season at the Spanish circuit.

The W06 is a comprehensive evolution of its predecessor, thanks to the relative stability in the regulations after the major power unit overhaul the year before. Still, that doesn't mean the team stood still, with Mercedes using up 25 engine development tokens during the off-season, and then using their remaining 7 tokens during the season for further upgrades.

Some regulation changes did however impact the car's design, resulting in a lower tip of the nose cone. With FRIC also being outlawed halfway through 2015, the team also had a chance to redesign the suspension elements and optimise them without FRIC, rather than simply removing the system as they had done when it got banned. All evolutions combined resulted in a chassis that was still the best of the pack.

On the drivetrain side, Mercedes retained the same, winning philosophy on the new PU106B engine, with the compressor at the front of the engine, and the turbine at the back. The MGU-H continued to be within the V of the engine. The MGU-K maintained its position close to the floor, on the left hand side of the cylinder block. The engine also features a much larger inlet plenum due to the adoption of variable inlet trumpets (something Mercedes willingly opted not to use in 2014) while on the exhaust side, the collectors have changed from log-style to equal-length exhausts.

The power unit inside the W06 also continues to feature an air-water intercooler located vertically, in between the oil tank and the engine block, and mounted inside the monocoque. This feature is unique among all cars that use the PU106B, knowing that the others have opted for an air-air intercooler installed in the left hand sidepod. The layout is another compromise, with the air-water system being more compact, but also (likely) heavier. From Mercedes' point of view however, Paddy Lowe insisted it was one of the elements that made the difference for the W06.

The 7 remaining development tokens for the power unit were used at the Italian Grand Prix to improve combustion efficiency with a pre-chamber and unspecified improvements to increase performance and reliability of the electrical elements. The team's chief of engines, Andy Cowell, later confirmed the upgrades came together with new fuel and lubricants from supplier Petronas and were specifically introduced to evaluate the team's development direction for 2016.

“It's a good point to introduce and do that development work and then build [the 2016 engine] on that through the winter,” Cowell commented.

“The fuel enabling us to make changes around the internal combustion engine is where the majority [of the upgrade] is. The combustion aspect linked with the fuel is the key, but there are some other enablers [where the other four tokens were spent] close to that to pull the whole package together.”

Results

As of the first Grand Prix of the season, the W06 Hybrid proved to have no match, with Hamilton and Rosberg immediately taking the top spots on the podium. As the season progressed, no team was able to close the gap. In the 19 races of the 2015 season, Mercedes won 18, including twelve 1-2 finishes (63.15%). 23 podiums were scored (84.21%) and the team scored a massive 703 out of 817 Championship points (86.04%).

Specifications

Monocoque: Moulded carbon fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Bodywork: Carbon fibre composite including engine cover, sidepods, floor, nose, front wing and rear wing
Cockpit: Removable driver’s seat made of anatomically formed carbon composite, Sabelt six-point driver safety harness, HANS system
Safety structures: Cockpit survival cell incorporating impact resistant construction and penetration panels, front impact structure, prescribed side impact structures, integrated rear impact structure, front and rear roll structures
Front Suspension: Carbon fibre wishbone and pushrod activated torsion springs and rockers
Rear Suspension: Carbon fibre wishbone and pullrod activated torsion springs and rockers
Dampers: Penske
Wheels: Advanti forged magnesium
Tyres: Pirelli
Brake system: Carbon / carbon discs and pads with rear brake-by-wire
Brake calipers: Brembo
Steering: Power assisted rack and pinion
Electronics: FIA standard ECU and FIA homologated electronic and electrical system
Instrumentation: McLaren Electronic Systems (MES)
Fuel system: ATL Kevlar-reinforced rubber bladder

Transmission

Gearbox: Eight-speed forward, one reverse unit with carbon fibre maincase
Gear selection: Sequential, semi-automatic, hydraulic activation
Clutch: Carbon plate

Dimensions

Overall length: 5000mm
Overall width: 1800mm
Overall height: 950mm
Overall weight: 702 kg (including driver and camera, excluding fuel)

Powertrain

Designation: Mercedes-Benz PU106B Hybrid
Type: Turbocharged, 90° 1.6l V6, assisted with kinetic and heat ERS
No of valves: 24 (4 per cylinder)
Fuel injection: High-pressure direct injection (max 500 bar, one injector/cylinder)
Pressure charging: Single-stage compressor and exhaust turbine on a common shaft
Bore: 80mm
Stroke: 53mm
Crank height: 90mm (minimum allowed)
Energy recovery system: Integrated Hybrid energy recovery via electrical Motor Generator Units
Energy Store: Lithium-Ion battery solution, between 20 and 25 kg
Fuel: PETRONAS Primax
Lubricants: PETRONAS Syntium
Gearbox & hydraulic oil: PETRONAS Tutela