2024 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[mkay]

So far the car is not competitive at all in S2 while S1 isn't exactly fast either. Not enough downforce and perhaps running lower engine modes? The Mclarens are going to one-two again it looks like. Max coming from behind has no chance of beating them.

Mercedes just doesn't have a very efficient car aerodynamically. Unlike Silverstone, Spa truly punishes cars that have a poor drag/downforce ratio.

[Hammerfist]

Tire wear does not look great either on the soft tire. Hamilton started in the low 49s and after 6 laps he's doing 50.0. Looks like a long weekend unless they can work some magic overnight.

[Luscion]

Tire wear does not look great either on the soft tire. Hamilton started in the low 49s and after 6 laps he's doing 50.0. Looks like a long weekend unless they can work some magic overnight.

Bernie said the deg is more than teams expected today and that 2 tenths loss is around what to expect from the soft tire. Lewis was still 2-3 tenths faster than Leclerc on the same age softs but Mclaren still look the quickest for sure.

Right now looks like Mclaren, Red Bull, Merc, Ferrari

[PlatinumZealot]

Another race to fight Max for the last podium step.

[Dunlay]

Another race to fight Max for the last podium step.

This is not Hungary and Max would blast past in no time, if the performance difference remains as it is in FP2.

[Luscion]

Yea unless Merc are either hiding performance or can find it overnight if they're not, they got no chance against Max

[Luscion]

Shovlin

We've struggled with the car today so we will be working hard overnight as to how to improve for tomorrow. We are losing time across the full speed range, rather than in specific corners, and the long run isn't where we need it to be either. Both of those are linked by a lack of balance and grip.

We therefore have plenty of work to do. We have our team in the simulator back at Brackley already looking at setup options and aiming to make solid progress. There is a good chance we will see some wet running tomorrow. That may make it difficult to evaluate overnight changes, but we will see what we can learn and what Saturday brings.

https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/news/belg ... ice-at-spa

[SKYnRacing24]

Looks like our worse practice session in a long time, not sure they can claw back the deficit so im expecting damage limitation. Late night analysis (Mick in the sim) and a crucial Fp3 will decide this weekend. I gather those updates with this flexing nonsense will be a focus point from the media to explain there troubles lool

[atanatizante]

They were many setbacks today:

Firstly they compromised setup work on both FP sessions in order to asses and gather a lot of data for the new (hopefully) upgrades. So they've split this task between the drivers today and we could clearly hear on the team radio lots of strat modes and stuff the drivers were needed to switch on during the runs.

Secondly, they were bottoming due to evaluate both how low they could run at and how much the plank would wear due to mainly Eau Rouge depression at this track.

Thirdly, the resurfaced track caught them out with their old data and they were having graning particularly on the softs, meaning they need some setup changes for tomorrow and to optimize the tyre warm up in the prep lap before the hot lap in qualy ... they and other teams needed 2 laps for the softs to hit the working window but Macca and VER needed only one ...

[Luscion]

[Dunlay]

It just confirms how difficult it is to get the upgrades working on cars in these regulations.

[CjC]

Ooooffff

[Venturiation]

not only the floor
every upgrade has been removed



is the same problem as aston martin thanks to the Wind tunnel ?

[j_ste]

It just confirms how difficult it is to get the upgrades working on cars in these regulations.

Updates.

One team seems to understand its package right now…just like last year but not the same team.

Hopefully the summer will be kind to them, from a learning and answer standpoint

[SKYnRacing24]

Yep its just one of those things with correlation unfortunately. Leclerc was saying the same thing recently how these updates introduce new problems. So FP3 is a washout and will be going in blind with Qualy AND the race with a old configuration. Damage limitation indeed. Our nearest challengers will be Ferrari and they might be ahead anyway.