Mercedes GP W02

[Goran2812]

This is just a carbon copy of 2010, which was just an embarrassment for all concerned.

Unfortunately, it looks like Merc have screwed up yet again and have let their drivers down. I had looked forward to Schumacher being given a car worthy of a 7 time champion that will allow him to chalwnge for number 8, but this seems not to
be the case. As last year, they are pinning their hopes on updates - not good.

Merc remins me of Toyota. Massive budget but nothing in return. I can see the Merc board reaching for the plug with the intention of well and truely pulling.

with all due respect but, what part of "this is an interim car, not the finished product" can't you understand?
people should really stop moaning about the pace of this car and wait until bahrain...
i think they'll do good... when the final version of the car hits the track, they'll do good...
i hope.. XD

[Med4224]

I believe Merc will be in luck and have more time to develop their upgrades as Bahtain GP doesn't seem like happening.

That would be a lucky break for Merc to develop even a better aero-pack

[andrew]

with all due respect but, what part of "this is an interim car, not the finished product" can't you understand?

Well, with all due respect as you say (damn I hate that phrase!), this is a car that has supposedly been developed since mid-2010 and it isn't working for them. To call it an "interimcar" is just code for "Merc hae made another screw-up".

Like I said, a carbon copy of last year and we all know how that went.

[wesley123]

with all due respect but, what part of "this is an interim car, not the finished product" can't you understand?

The part of that they said exactly the same thing last year.

Last year they said that they would revamp the whole car for the first race, there where only a few different winglet and the 'incredible new front wing' was nothing more than a few regular tweaks. Big updates never came and those which made it on the car didnt make it any better.

I have no reason to think why this car would be a race winner, I mean it got burnt bodywork, i have never seen that happening before. They need to cut the car open because of heat problems and on aerodynamics they are way behind.

This team(BAR, Honda, BGP and now Mercedes) have never made any good car, why would they do it this year?

And yes, the BGP001 was an championship winner which was only due to good reading of the rules and the DDD. The BGP001 wasnt good on its tires in any way, they made the same mistake the next year. I am really starting to think there are just a bunch of monkeys working on autocad(or w/e they use) or something, this is just ridiculous.

[Med4224]

with all due respect but, what part of "this is an interim car, not the finished product" can't you understand?

Well, with all due respect as you say (damn I hate that phrase!), this is a car that has supposedly been developed since mid-2010 and it isn't working for them. To call it an "interimcar" is just code for "Merc hae made another screw-up".

Like I said, a carbon copy of last year and we all know how that went.

actually no, calling it an interim car means that it hasn't been in development since mid-2010. It means it is a car they put together for testing.
While their real car race-ready car which has been in development since mid-2010 will emerge in the first GP.

It is a very straightforward line.

You can doubt it all you want, but all we can actually do is wait and see.
If in the first GP they show up with this, then ok, lash out.

[andrew]

So Merc will debut a largely untested car at the first race? Doubt it

I hope I'm wrong but 2011 looks like a repeat of 2010 for Merc.

[luca]

[sarcasm]
If there is no need to test the new car before the first GP, then why test at all? It is just a waste of money.
[/sarcasm]

If they are having cooling issues because it is an interim car and so a compromise, then why are they wasting time solving these issues that maybe would not have affected the new "not compromised" car?
It is as if McLaren tested with an interim car to keep the L-shaped sidepods hidden.

One thing is bringing a tweaked front wing to a GP without testing it, another is bringing half a new car.

Unless they bring something revolutionary like the DDD, no other major team is going to copy Mercedes. So they should just test in peace.

[luca]

Also, why don't they ever use those special sensors that any other major team seems to be using during testing? (I mean the ones mounted above the camera, above the diffuser, around the tyres, etc.)

[Med4224]

I'll make sure i pass that to Brawn, maybe he didn't know

yes minimal testing time for a new car is worrying.
However, an aero-pack doesn't need intensive testing
Practice sessions would do. It's 2011, CFD, wind tunnels.

Brawn said this car is for 3 things:
1. Tyre Behaviour
2. KERS
3. extensive Set-up exploration

and so far they have sticked to that.

No need to write them off or anything as long they're keeping their word.

People who write Merc off at the moment have a lot in common with people who say the world will end in 2012. They build on their imagination and conjecture with no proof or logic.

Yes, this is a very basic car. Yes, if they race with this car it would be another 2010. However, we have no idea with what's up their sleeves. So wait and see.

Like JET said, if they qualify 9th and 10th in the first GP, get the guns out...
Otherwise, shush

[luca]

I am not writing them off already (in fact I would really like them to have a winning car), but at the first test Brawn said that most of the updates would arrive at Bahrain, but some of them already at Barcelona. These latter seem to have been pushed back.
So 3 out of 4 tests with the same interim car.

13:12 Mercedes has been switching between the slotted and not-slotted front wing this morning. We hear its new front wing won't be ready until the next test at the earliest.

http://live.autosport.com/commentary.php/id/311

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Right so Red Bull started their Race Sim, and Vettel dropped off 3seconds from start to finish of his first stint. Almost the same as Schumacher, but a tad better (3.3 versus 3.6)
I cannot tell what compounds they are using, but it is the first stint of the GP sim. So Fuel loads will be similar even if the tyres arent.

The times for the first stint indicte the Red Bull is approximatley 0.7 to 1 second ahead of Mercedes. Although this can be clouded by use of KERS and exact fuel loads and tyre compounds.

Luca, Brawn has been saying that all along

[Med4224]

yea i just read that
It is consistent with what Brawn said
the next test is supposed to be Bahrain (probably not).
And the new wings are due then.

Autosport says the new wing will be available at the next test.

So what's the problem?

They're confirming what Brawn said

[Med4224]

Right so Red Bull started their Race Sim, and Vettel dropped off 3seconds from start to finish of his first stint. Almost the same as Schumacher, but a tad better (3.3 versus 3.6)
I cannot tell what compounds they are using, but it is the first stint of the GP sim. So Fuel loads will be similar even if the tyres arent.

The times for the first stint indicte the Red Bull is approximatley 0.7 to 1 second ahead of Mercedes. Although this can be clouded by use of KERS and exact fuel loads and tyre compounds.

Luca, Brawn has been saying that all along

They're saying Vettel isn't using his ARW
was Michael using it yesterday?

[Caerdroia]

Who's they? Everything I've read has been talking about how Red Bull are using the DRS earlier and returning it back to it's normal position before any of the other teams. Without any evidence to the contrary, I'd assume mercedes have been using their's.

[Med4224]

Who's they? Everything I've read has been talking about how Red Bull are using the DRS earlier and returning it back to it's normal position before any of the other teams.

they would be Autosport
their ticker on testing

He's only using it if he's within 1 second of someone