Mercedes AMG F1 W03

[Forza]

Yes, Monkey seat has gone again...

I believe both cars had it on them.

They were running cars in both configurations (with and without moneky seat) during FP. It's more set up related issue.
monkey seat On
monkey seat Off






Here we can see the two drs tubes

[Dragonfly]

As Brawn has said, the Mercedes-AMG guys are taking a step back in the development race and trying to understanding how to best utilise the tyres.
........

Best utilization of tyres is, of course, very important. But from what I understand reading at other places even Pirelli are surprised by their product, because their tests on a 2010 car gave different results and temperature windows than when they are fit on a current car under current regulations. Which makes me think next year tyres will be different and demand again new understanding.

[wunderkind]

and even those 2 teams understand the tyres ... were are they? definitely not on the top. they are focusing to much on the tyres. anyway, another wasted season

I don't think any teams know how the Pirelli's work. The teams that are getting the most out of the Pirelli's are most definitely there by luck.

[Ferraripilot]

I notice they are running a new version of the front wing main element. The original had two underside curves, inboard and outboard, while the new unit just has the single them outboard.

[Artur Craft]

Putting the front or rear wing lower doesnt give more downforce. Placing them higher does.

I think AMG is not spending to much time on the body aerodynamics because the real issues are inside the bodywork.

Also i do not believe they haven't have any upgrades, they are just not viewable from the outside.

It's a pretty known fact that the front wings will generate more downforce, the lower they are and that's why everybody was trying to copy Red Bull's front wings flex because it lowered the sides of the wing to increase the downforce of it. The rear wing gives more df placed higher because of receiving more air flow as opposed to the disrupted flow of lower places of the rear.

And Button gave his 2 cents on the matter of the traditional need to pursuit downforce being more important than the sole focus on tire, which Brawn suggests:

"The more downforce you have, the fewer issues [you have] everywhere else," he said. "You can get tyre temperature, so you can take away the parts of the car we have had to put on to help, which will give us more downforce again.
"Downforce just helps everything: it covers up issues you can't solve any other way. I don't think we have had a big enough update before to be in the mix. Here we have that update and I hope that it takes us back to the front.
"Our long-run pace is definitely a weakness: if you look at our degradation compared to some of the quicker teams, which also includes Sauber, we are weaker in that area. Some of it is because they have got more downforce than us."

[Owen.C93]

Interesting drive shaft.

[Ferraripilot]

Nothing different about the half shafts but the rear brake duct winglets are partially covered in the upper areas in a triangular pattern appearing to direct flow downward and center

[Dragonfly]

If someone tells that the car is not worse than a Sauber, don't believe him
It's sliding down.

[marcush.]

According to Schumacher W03 simply has more appetite for the black gold than other cars and with the temperatures seen on sunday it was even more than expected.
so one can say the basic problem from the very beginning of testing is and remains the tyre abuse of the basic car..no matter how much you learn about tire use it is an inherent characteristic of this car .
Even with new soft tyres Schumacher was only able to close in on the saubers but as he reeled in on them all the edge of the new rubber had all but evaporated..
The fact stays ..this car is not even 4th best chassis ,it has some tracks where it excells -China and Monaco so far- but that´s about it .

[Artur Craft]

If someone tells that the car is not worse than a Sauber, don't believe him
It's sliding down.

Mercedes never were consistently faster than Sauber. Only in China and Monaco that they had better pace.

To me it is a no brainer, Sauber car is definitely faster than W03

[Joie de vivre]

and yet they will refuse to copy some ideas

this car will downgrade consistantly

[siskue2005]

Interesting thought came to my mind about the removal of front wing cascades

Just look at the faster teams, they all have higher rear downforce like exhaust compared to other slow cars who don't have it

Maybe that's how the tyres work best? With better rear downforce in relation to front

But merc can't improve their rear downfore, so they remove some front downforce to shift the balance and make the tyres work better?

Is that what Brawn was talking about when he said they have better understanding of tyres now?

If so why don't add the mclaren or sauber style exhaust or run higher angle rear wing to improve rear than remove some of the front downforce?

[Adamski]

If someone tells that the car is not worse than a Sauber, don't believe him
It's sliding down.

Mercedes never were consistently faster than Sauber. Only in China and Monaco that they had better pace.

To me it is a no brainer, Sauber car is definitely faster than W03

Well, being slower on a race then a Sauber this year is not particularly a bad thing as the Swiss team usually have the best pace and best stints from all of the teams. They are just so slow in qualifying, so can't start from the front. If they will start one race from top 6, we could definitely have a very interesting show.

As for the Mercedes, I think they follow their original path. Just optimizing what we have and not going for tons of upgrade. Until yesterday I say, the more not always better. But now Merc should do something because if we compare them with Ferrari, we can see something like they doing everything in half speed.

[siskue2005]

Interesting thought came to my mind about the removal of front wing cascades

Just look at the faster teams, they all have higher rear downforce like exhaust compared to other slow cars who don't have it

Maybe that's how the tyres work best? With better rear downforce in relation to front

But merc can't improve their rear downfore, so they remove some front downforce to shift the balance and make the tyres work better?

Is that what Brawn was talking about when he said they have better understanding of tyres now?

If so why don't add the mclaren or sauber style exhaust or run higher angle rear wing to improve rear than remove some of the front downforce?

Anyone?

[Joie de vivre]

we were debating why they removed cascades and yes, probably due to lack of downforce on the rear

why not revise exhaust? well that's something I've pointed out long time ago but I was told "they know what they are doing ... have you ever heard of CFD, wind tunnels etc."

so if lack of rear downforce means higher tire degredation, why don't they simply add more downforce on the rear instead of losing one on the front ... only mgp knows