2023 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[CHT]

Here are the number of Merc poles when LH won the WDC.
Can LH win WDC with a car that is 2 tenths slower? I doubt so.
Even in 2021, RBR has 1 pole more than Merc.

2020 15/17
2019 10/21
2018 12/21
2017 15/20
2016 20/21
2015 18/21
2014 18/19

[PlatinumZealot]

Mercedes just need to be within two tenths and thw drivers will do the rest.

when was the last time LH won a championship being 2 tenth behind the front?

I wont answer that baiting question.. but think about it, Perez is way off pace. It would be two fast drivers against one. 2 tenths isn't enough to stop an undercut.

[DGP123]

I think it’s also worth mentioning, that RB would not be immune to mistakes/errors themselves, with the pressure of competition finally at their door. They might be imperious now, but if Merc are close, you will see cracks appear. It’s what happens.

[organic]

Has this been posted?

https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-deta ... ill-arrive

Speaking to the F1 Nation podcast, Mercedes’ Communications Director Bradley Lord explained that further upgrades are set to be brought to the car at the United States Grand Prix.

"We’ve still got some parts to come that are just coming through the production cycle. They'll land around Austin time.

[chrisc90]

Mercedes just need to be within two tenths and thw drivers will do the rest.

when was the last time LH won a championship being 2 tenth behind the front?

I wont answer that baiting question.. but think about it, Perez is way off pace. It would be two fast drivers against one. 2 tenths isn't enough to stop an undercut.

2 tenths might not be, but a extra 1.0-1.5seconds in the pitstop may just be.

I think most of us can agree that Mercedes need to make some gains in the pitstop time when they get to fighting back at the front. Something that is free to improve upon in the budget cap (or very little if tweaks to tooling)

[ringo]

Here are the number of Merc poles when LH won the WDC.
Can LH win WDC with a car that is 2 tenths slower? I doubt so.
Even in 2021, RBR has 1 pole more than Merc.

2020 15/17
2019 10/21
2018 12/21
2017 15/20
2016 20/21
2015 18/21
2014 18/19

You use the word "can". Of course he can. It's possible. Was possible in 2007 before the gearbox glitch in Brazil. He would have been a rooking champion. In 2008, the ferrari was the faster car. So we have two examples there.
The Ferrari rocket engine years were also where he did win in the slower car. Then there is 2021 where he was on his way to winning through his sbilities but stuff happened. So you have 5 years of example there. The these were all opportunities where he did or was very likely ro have and that's the crux. With a slower ca he can fight and have a good chance to be champion, down to the final race or final lap.
21 saw the rival team overspending, 2.2 million more, it saw a disadvantage with the floor edge cut out, and generally the w12 having some weakness and he was still the guy further down the road in that final race ( focusing on the cars, their development and not the rulings or general environment at the time).
Mercedes did well to be fighting against the ferrari rocket engine and the unfettered spending of redbull. This is why i dont count out a good rivalry in the future.
Rob Marshall is also leaving Redbull for Mclaren. Maybe RB suffers from the brain brain a little too?

[CHT]

Here are the number of Merc poles when LH won the WDC.
Can LH win WDC with a car that is 2 tenths slower? I doubt so.
Even in 2021, RBR has 1 pole more than Merc.

2020 15/17
2019 10/21
2018 12/21
2017 15/20
2016 20/21
2015 18/21
2014 18/19

You use the word "can". Of course he can. It's possible. Was possible in 2007 before the gearbox glitch in Brazil. He would have been a rooking champion. In 2008, the ferrari was the faster car. So we have two examples there.
The Ferrari rocket engine years were also where he did win in the slower car. Then there is 2021 where he was on his way to winning through his sbilities but stuff happened. So you have 5 years of example there. The these were all opportunities where he did or was very likely ro have and that's the crux. With a slower ca he can fight and have a good chance to be champion, down to the final race or final lap.
21 saw the rival team overspending, 2.2 million more, it saw a disadvantage with the floor edge cut out, and generally the w12 having some weakness and he was still the guy further down the road in that final race ( focusing on the cars, their development and not the rulings or general environment at the time).
Mercedes did well to be fighting against the ferrari rocket engine and the unfettered spending of redbull. This is why i dont count out a good rivalry in the future.
Rob Marshall is also leaving Redbull for Mclaren. Maybe RB suffers from the brain brain a little too?

2008 Mclaren was equal to ferrari with 8 poles and Hamilton has most pole at 7.

[ringo]

I watched that season and the ferrari was the better car. So much so Massa looked like a champion all the way through. It was Ferrari's to lose. But my point stands. Two tenths is not much. It's enough to allow for ebbs and flows in strategy, weekend preperation, driver readiness, and track compatibility, even temperature amd tyre performance of the car. Two tenths off Redbull would be a gift compared to 1 second or half a second adrift.

Let's look on the Ferrari and McLaren this year. Mercedes can still race with them even when they are 2 or 3 tenths faster. And when Merc is faster, Ferrari can apply pressure especially if they are faster on a soft tyre or with more fuel.

Anyhow i think Newey has an unfair advantage with these regs and I would be happy with even coming within two tenths. Give this a read:

https://www.racefans.net/2023/09/27/n ... concept/

[hollus]

Right decade, thanks.

[Cs98]

Ah didn't hear about that, maybe they do have some issues still but it is a whole lot better than last year, I'm interested to see what issues their COTA upgrades address

The car was better at this stage of the season last year. They were 2nd best and closer to RB than they are now.

[Farnborough]

Ah didn't hear about that, maybe they do have some issues still but it is a whole lot better than last year, I'm interested to see what issues their COTA upgrades address

The car was better at this stage of the season last year. They were 2nd best and closer to RB than they are now.

All teams around them have moved forward + RB whether we'll see the same relative performance from MB this season end is going to depend more on their immediate competitors of Ferrari and McL I suspect.

This concept is still limited, ultimately, by porpoising as I understand it. They can't fully load rear floor in avoiding that, then they have to match with less ftont flap, in their own description of the setup difficulty decisions they take. More rear wing doesn't have same interaction with ground effect that strong floor performance has. Meaning, they can then also load the front when needed with high downforce circuits.

Whether "new" floor will bring a better attenuation of load increase over speed range to improve this aspect, that will show, if successful, at Cota.

They are still stuck with same root concept, whatever result they achieve now in season end. They acknowledge this with their stated shift of design in W15.

[Stu]

Mercedes just need to be within two tenths and the drivers will do the rest.

when was the last time LH won a championship being 2 tenth behind the front?

I wont answer that baiting question.. but think about it, Perez is way off pace. It would be two fast drivers against one. 2 tenths isn't enough to stop an undercut.

A very strange response when you posted the statement in the first place @PZ, a bit like stating that the moon is made of cheese, but refusing to bring evidence of it.

[TimW]

It would be two fast drivers against one. 2 tenths isn't enough to stop an undercut.

2 tenths enable you to pull a 3 second gap in 15 laps. 2 tenths allow you too drive 2 tenths of the pace, save your tires, and let your opponent burn his' in your wake. It gives a lot of strategic options. 2 tenths is actually a big difference to overcome.

[Mosin123]

It would be two fast drivers against one. 2 tenths isn't enough to stop an undercut.

2 tenths enable you to pull a 3 second gap in 15 laps. 2 tenths allow you too drive 2 tenths of the pace, save your tires, and let your opponent burn his' in your wake. It gives a lot of strategic options. 2 tenths is actually a big difference to overcome.

2 tenths wont open a 1 sec gap in first two laps, once DRS comes into play 2 tenths isnt alot and can be made up with DRS on most tracks. One Merc can always go long the other early. I dont think 2 tenth is enough to cover all options.

[makecry]

Mercedes just need to be within two tenths and thw drivers will do the rest.

Nope. If Mercedes lack 2/10ths on max’s car, Lewis ain’t doing anything.