Mercedes GP MGP W01

[ringo]

if this part was such an huge problem it was already changed, afterall it is the start of the car, the nose is wrong, then the rest of the car is too.

Also because the red bull got one it doesnt mean that then everyone should get one, because they are the fastest team currently doesnt mean their whole car is the best, there are like 11000 other parts on the car, why pick the nose? You dont nkow with what idea the cars are built. Maybe the mercedes is built for an low CofG at the front, so a low nose would fit much better then.

@Marcush; it is because of for who the car is built, remember previously Rosberg was the first man, now with the upgrades schumi is the faster man, nothing has changed only the running order, i am already feeling sorry for rosberg, such an great driver.

you say they sacrificed development for speed for adapting the car to Schumachers preferences?
to me the whole story about them having similar preferences which is what we have heard for a long time is now put ad absurdum... in fact it seems they like really something different ... as the car has not gained significantly in speed compared to the opposition ,but the pecking order has swapped around in the team internally.
So the name of the game is Schumacher was giving input that was relied on whereas Rosbergs input did not give him a quicker car now...in fact he went backwards.

actually wehat you are saying now is everything i ment, i agree with you. Although if it stays like this i just feel bad for Rosberg, as he is gonna play the second driver for schuey, it is pretty much clear that rosberg cant handle the car as good as schuey.

Shuey couldn't handle the first car as good as Rosberg then?
The car is new now, and is more than likely tailored with Shumachers input. Rosberg was fine before so he probably was content with letting the team further improve the car without him actually swaying the directon the car was going.
Watching quali, the commentators were discussing how MS always has a handle on what is going on with the car and team. During the 4 races, he may have been in the background building the car behind rosbergs back. I wouldn't put it past him to purposely influence the car to be to Rosberg's demise setup wise.
However the car is made to be as neutral as possible, so Rosberg and engineers only need some time to figure out the alien shumi technologies on the car, and get back to at least being happy with it's handling.
I don't even think Rosberg is worried about speed relative to his teammate now. As long as he is happy with the car, he will be faster than Micheal.

All in all, i agree the car is as quick as Button and Massa (the slower drivers) in their respective cars and that is a good step forward.

[aral]

I am in agreement with Manchild on the issue of the "roll bar". In fact, Brundle also reported his concerns as to the safety for the driver.

However, the modifications to the Merc, are just about keeping up with the modifications being carried out by the other teams. There is just no step forward, and had Nico not lost time yesterday, he would possibly have been ahead of schuey today.

[WhiteBlue]

The car is new now, and is more than likely tailored with Shumachers input. Rosberg was fine before so he probably was content with letting the team further improve the car without him actually swaying the directon the car was going.
Watching quali, the commentators were discussing how MS always has a handle on what is going on with the car and team. During the 4 races, he may have been in the background building the car behind rosbergs back. I wouldn't put it past him to purposely influence the car to be to Rosberg's demise setup wise.
However the car is made to be as neutral as possible, so Rosberg and engineers only need some time to figure out the alien shumi technologies on the car, and get back to at least being happy with it's handling.
I don't even think Rosberg is worried about speed relative to his teammate now. As long as he is happy with the car, he will be faster than Micheal.

I have seldom read such a lot of biased nonsense. From Australia the team has communicated very openly that the balance needed to change by means of an extension of the wheel base. Rosberg has known all this and supported the changes. He has repeatedly said that the input from Schumacher has always improved the car and made him faster. To allege that the wheel base change was behind Rosberg's back to influence the car to Rosberg's demise with alien technology is childish and biased.

Further the old components will also be available for tracks that favor a short wheel base. Britney could have elected to stay on the old suspension and front wing. He did not do that. To me this is simply an issue where Rosberg cannot easily take over the setup that Schumacher favors due to his different driving style. He was unable to find a setup that suits him and did not decide to go back to the old front end. It remains to be seen if Nico can fully optimise the car to his liking and who will be the faster driver from now on. My view is that Schumacher was held back by an unsuitable balance and the damage to the floor which wasn't properly repaired or Rosberg wouldn't have beaten him four times in quali and race in the first place. This situation is over now and I expect Schumacher to have the upper hand in most cases from now.

[bugref]

The best time Michael did get in practice was 1.20.757 something if you sum it all up, he will be the 3rd fastest man. clearly this is an indication that merc had improved significantly.

but looking at the car changes it seems that, the oversteer and understeer proves to be logical. But overall the fact that the car looks even now with the maclaren and ferrari. proves to be the big improvements, a step forward difference that mercedes had successfully achieved so far.
I am looking forward how the race unfolds and now that Michael has the car that can fight against maclaren and ferrari it will be an exciting race then. the question now will be who will win the 3rd spot. Hope this time mercedes will have a great weekend.

Again Good luck Michael Schumacher.
God Speed to all...

[djos]

I wonder if that massive central pillar reduces airflow to the engine on long sweeping corners by effectively blocking air to one side of the intake?

Or are F1 cars simply not moving fast enuf to have that problem?

[bill shoe]

Further the old components will also be available for tracks that favor a short wheel base. Britney could have elected to stay on the old suspension and front wing. He did not do that. To me this is simply an issue where Rosberg cannot easily take over the setup that Schumacher favors due to his different driving style.

The US broadcast on Speed TV had a similar perspective on running the old wheelbase. Pit reporter Will Buxton speculated that Mercedes might run the old short wheelbase suspension for Monaco. This is logical in itself because all else equal a short wheelbase is good for Monaco. But I don't think this will happen because the purpose of the new longer wheelbase is to move the weight bias rearward. Monaco strongly requires a rear bias for longitudinal performance. So I expect only the long wheelbase in Monaco.

I'm not pro-Schumacher by any means, but the whole Mercedes situation really highlights how relatively small differences in car design and setup can switch the relative performance between two drivers.

[Pierce89]

Further the old components will also be available for tracks that favor a short wheel base. Britney could have elected to stay on the old suspension and front wing. He did not do that. To me this is simply an issue where Rosberg cannot easily take over the setup that Schumacher favors due to his different driving style.

The US broadcast on Speed TV had a similar perspective on running the old wheelbase. Pit reporter Will Buxton speculated that Mercedes might run the old short wheelbase suspension for Monaco. This is logical in itself because all else equal a short wheelbase is good for Monaco. But I don't think this will happen because the purpose of the new longer wheelbase is to move the weight bias rearward. Monaco strongly requires a rear bias for longitudinal performance. So I expect only the long wheelbase in Monaco.

I'm not pro-Schumacher by any means, but the whole Mercedes situation really highlights how relatively small differences in car design and setup can switch the relative performance between two drivers.

I agree the more front biased setup would be terrible at Monaco.Speed commentators often make stupid remarks.

[ringo]

The car is new now, and is more than likely tailored with Shumachers input. Rosberg was fine before so he probably was content with letting the team further improve the car without him actually swaying the directon the car was going.
Watching quali, the commentators were discussing how MS always has a handle on what is going on with the car and team. During the 4 races, he may have been in the background building the car behind rosbergs back. I wouldn't put it past him to purposely influence the car to be to Rosberg's demise setup wise.
However the car is made to be as neutral as possible, so Rosberg and engineers only need some time to figure out the alien shumi technologies on the car, and get back to at least being happy with it's handling.
I don't even think Rosberg is worried about speed relative to his teammate now. As long as he is happy with the car, he will be faster than Micheal.

I have seldom read such a lot of biased nonsense. From Australia the team has communicated very openly that the balance needed to change by means of an extension of the wheel base. Rosberg has known all this and supported the changes. He has repeatedly said that the input from Schumacher has always improved the car and made him faster. To allege that the wheel base change was behind Rosberg's back to influence the car to Rosberg's demise with alien technology is childish and biased.

Further the old components will also be available for tracks that favor a short wheel base. Britney could have elected to stay on the old suspension and front wing. He did not do that. To me this is simply an issue where Rosberg cannot easily take over the setup that Schumacher favors due to his different driving style. He was unable to find a setup that suits him and did not decide to go back to the old front end. It remains to be seen if Nico can fully optimise the car to his liking and who will be the faster driver from now on. My view is that Schumacher was held back by an unsuitable balance and the damage to the floor which wasn't properly repaired or Rosberg wouldn't have beaten him four times in quali and race in the first place. This situation is over now and I expect Schumacher to have the upper hand in most cases from now.

I agree with you with everything except the upper hand part. It's too early to tell what kind of endurance Shumacher will have to keep up his new pace. He will obviously finish ahead of rosberg today though. The top 10 is pretty tough.
I was kidding with the shumi car parts. I just threw that in after seeing a pic of shumi working on the car before practice 1.
However Rosgergs problem is all down to his engineers and his little experience compared to Shumi. Look how well Barichello has been doing with williams then you get a good idea of how valuable experience is to setting up. I was really expecting Shumi to be the first to get to grips with the car, but assumed Rosberg will be back on top in Monaco in the slow stuff. All that's yet to be seen though.
Don't get me wrong, i am a shumi fan, but everyone has gotten used to Rosberg after a while, and it's strange that we would see him quietly fall back like Massa.

[toshinden]

wow, never tought that you're a fan of his. Well about rosberg pace, i just think the easiest way. Like other's think as well that his team just not yet can find a good setup for him. He'll be up there soon knowing that he also has a good understanding in technical thing. My comrade in our forum back home also come up with the ideas that merc use schuey's ability to give input regarding the development of the car in the previous 4 races. I just hope that it will worth for him to climb up again.

[zgred]

[LegendaryM]

I think mercedes will do very well in monaco, for the following reasons:
- they are good in the twisty sector 3 in barcelona
- they have the option for a shorther wheelbase (and even the new longer wheelbase isnt super long)
- the car produces alot of downforce
- its high drag wont really matter
- its inability to run in dirty air compared to others will be neutralised as no-one can overtake
- monaco is a circuit were the driver matters more

[marcush.]

I don´t see the logic behind Merc being high downforce +draggy compared to RBR
they have the same Topspeed but lag behind in terms of lap time...so where do they possibly loose their time?
even if the Merc engine was a bit stronger than renault in top end it is hardly more than 20HP,and the Renault engine is good enough to propel Kubica into Q3 time after time.
so in the end RBR is just on a different level downforcewise ,especially in long sweeping corners.

[Yups]

The best time Michael did get in practice was 1.20.232 something if you sum it all up, he will be the 3rd fastest man. clearly this is an indication that merc had improved significantly.

No it was 1:20.757 and usually Mercedes is lighter on Friday. Saturday was slower due to rain overnight.

[marcush.]

Race will show the true order of forces.
I still don´t see the vastly reduced gap to the RBR.

[siskue2005]

Cool, Mclaren style exhaust opening