Mercedes W12

[atanatizante]

different setup
https://twitter.com/SmilexTech/status/1 ... 5500190721
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAD2QoAWEAEQFxA?format=jpg

Bottas's is a quali setup, Hamilton's a race set up. Hamilton's allows slightly more top speed so better for defending on the long straight.

In the top speed trap, BOT was 2-3km/h faster, however ...
So this was due to being on a higher engine mode, on a fresher PU or it was just the other way around regarding RW & FW setup they were trying?

[zibby43]

Larger comparison of the new front wing, which has a completely revised profile.

As previously mentioned, this was being tested for future circuits. Interesting to see a change for such a key component this late in the season.

[pursue_one's]

Interesting

On Friday Hamilton used the skinniest setting, while Bottas used the version which provides the most downforce, just as he has already done in several races (such as Portugal and Azerbaijan).

Due to the rain over the Russian race weekend, the Brackley team standardised the choice for both drivers, opting for a W12 with greater downforce.

The W12 still seems to carry some rear stability problems, which lead to oversteer coming out of slow corners, a problem that impacts Hamilton more than Bottas.

Over the course of Friday, the Brackley engineers also had Bottas try out a new front wing configuration which was new in the layout of the last flap at the top.

The last flap, modified in the outermost area, tends to seek a greater out wash effect at the expense of a greater wing shape, bringing the flow of air outwards from the front wheels. The wing was then set aside for qualifying, as it was going to unload the front. A change that goes in the same direction as what Ferrari and Aston Martin did, which introduced changes only in the two flaps that regulate the overall incidence, to be used in low load settings. This obviously allows you to change the front downforce levels, without having to adopt completely new wings.

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/09/ ... -at-sochi/

[SiLo]

Interesting

The W12 still seems to carry some rear stability problems, which lead to oversteer coming out of slow corners, a problem that impacts Hamilton more than Bottas.

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/09/ ... -at-sochi/

Considering both of their styles this seems... odd? The fact that Hamilton has usually been able to run with less rear wing and be as fast or faster tells me he can deal with far more rear instability than Bottas.

[Mattchu]

I was told (second hand info, I trust the guy, but take with a heavy pinch of salt) that Mercedes were told by the FIA to reduce the front wing "movement" several races ago!

There was a camera shot from the front wing on a decent straight this last weekend and I`m pretty sure the upper flaps didn`t flex/bend down at speed as much. Having looked through the race a few times I can`t for the life of me find it, maybe it was in practice, did anyone else notice it?

Possibly it was just a by product of the new front wing being tested...

[SiLo]

I was told (second hand info, I trust the guy, but take with a heavy pinch of salt) that Mercedes were told by the FIA to reduce the front wing "movement" several races ago!

There was a camera shot from the front wing on a decent straight this last weekend and I`m pretty sure the upper flaps didn`t flex/bend down at speed as much. Having looked through the race a few times I can`t for the life of me find it, maybe it was in practice, did anyone else notice it?

Possibly it was just a by product of the new front wing being tested...

Did the tell the rest of the grid? Literally every teams front wing moves quite a lot.

[zibby43]

[Just_a_fan]

https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-conte ... 24x838.png

It appears this image is incorrect - or at least it's incomplete. The wing actually has more outboard flap now, not the same as before.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAXkB1OWYAY ... ame=medium

So they are able to run more front wing which suggests they needed to balance the rear downforce.

[Tvetovnato]

Going a bit in the Red Bull direction with the front wing it seems. I desperately want a normal race in Istanbul to see how the performance balance really is now.

[SiLo]

Interesting

https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-conte ... 24x838.png


https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/09/ ... -at-sochi/

The bottom pic is actually wrong. Look at the outer edges of the upper flaps, there is clearly more AoA there.

[PlatinumZealot]

different setup
https://twitter.com/SmilexTech/status/1 ... 5500190721
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAD2QoAWEAEQFxA?format=jpg

This could be why Bottas suffered from understeer in the dry.

[F1Krof]

Credit: Twitter @AlbertFabrega

[zibby43]

via Motorsport.com

[pursue_one's]

Different front wing(Turkey FP1&2)

[Just_a_fan]

Different front wing(Turkey FP1&2)

https://i.imgur.com/4LpaD2H.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/lpkbPQ3.jpg

New FW on Ham, old FW on Bot, it appears.