Mercedes GP W02

[marcush.]

who cares if drag and downforce are in the ballpark...there is more than one ways to skin a cat as one of our respected forum members says...
It obviously seems to work for them.

[matt21]

Could this be some kind of opening or is it just an illusion?

[beelsebob]

Could this be some kind of opening or is it just an illusion?

Just an illusion:

[dren]

Maybe the side rakes are to help split the air going between the top and lower sections of the sidepod intakes?

[matt21]

But in this picture you look from above.
Maybe we need this in a different angle and bigger.

[bot6]

That triangle shape is just a shadow, but still, the two parts shown are not identical. Look at the tread of the carbon fiber: those two floors are not the same specification.

[beelsebob]

But in this picture you look from above.
Maybe we need this in a different angle and bigger.

I'm pretty confident that we're looking at the same triangle here – look how they join onto the top surface of the floor, and then onto the turning vein. And yes... it's from above, that's because it points partly upwards.

[mantikos]

What changed with the mirrors? I don't see it
The floor looks all new

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Mercedes are running fat on fuel.

Makes me optimistic...although the car looks badly out of shape in some corners.

[Gerhardsa]

Well. I know the times in practice aint much to go by at this stage, but i wonder how close to the 1min 21.2 MB will get that they did in pre season testing, seeing they have more upgrades, etc on the car, i will be very dissapointed if they cant overhall the pre season times...
To get back to the cooling upgrades, I also read they needed to re-test the sidepods because of the bigger cooling system.

[dren]

Mercedes are running fat on fuel.

Makes me optimistic...although the car looks badly out of shape in some corners.

Did they state that during practice? I didn't get to watch, just saw live updates.

[Ferraripilot]

It's not difficult to tell they are on fat fuel. One thing is for sure, Schu is definitely quicker than Nico on heavy fuel. Schu's top speed times were also substantially higher in all sectors except S2.

For some reason S3 is nasty for this car as all the top runners are at least half a second quicker. The hairpin at turn 10 was good for W02 but everywhere else was ragged there. I think this shows W02 has fantastic mechanical grip but lacks aero particularly at the rear.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Mercedes are running fat on fuel.

Makes me optimistic...although the car looks badly out of shape in some corners.

Did they state that during practice? I didn't get to watch, just saw live updates.

Not in the end of practice as that was lighter fuel loads.

But for 60 minutes the cars were running full fat 4 to 6 seconds off the pace.

[dren]

It's not difficult to tell they are on fat fuel. One thing is for sure, Schu is definitely quicker than Nico on heavy fuel. Schu's top speed times were also substantially higher in all sectors except S2.

For some reason S3 is nasty for this car as all the top runners are at least half a second quicker. The hairpin at turn 10 was good for W02 but everywhere else was ragged there. I think this shows W02 has fantastic mechanical grip but lacks aero particularly at the rear.

So not looking too promising for the race? I think Ferrari and Mclaren have the edge and then Red Bull.

[BrawnGP]

It's not difficult to tell they are on fat fuel. One thing is for sure, Schu is definitely quicker than Nico on heavy fuel. Schu's top speed times were also substantially higher in all sectors except S2.

For some reason S3 is nasty for this car as all the top runners are at least half a second quicker. The hairpin at turn 10 was good for W02 but everywhere else was ragged there. I think this shows W02 has fantastic mechanical grip but lacks aero particularly at the rear.

I agree sector 3 was terrible for both, but surely with "fantastic mechanical grip" It would be the best part of the track for them as it is has the slowest speed corners.

Maybe they were slightly heavier on fuel than the rest and that sector would show the most difference in time??