Mercedes says its “unusual” dominance of Formulation 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix has given it some clues about what it must get its automobile within the candy spot subsequent yr.
After a troublesome spell for the reason that summer season break, as Mercedes fell again behind McLaren, Ferrari and Purple Bull, the German marque shocked even itself with how fast it was in Las Vegas final weekend.
It was quickest in each session, with George Russell profitable from pole and Lewis Hamilton recovering from tenth on the grid to assist ship the group’s first 1-2 for the reason that 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Whereas Mercedes doesn’t have a correct rationalization as to why it was in a category of its personal across the avenue observe, it thinks the cool temperatures have been a essential consider permitting it to beat an issue it has had in overheating its rear tyres this yr.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff stated: “It is chilly. I feel that clearly you’ll be able to correlate the place we have been robust.
“We have been robust in Silverstone, we have been robust in Spa, after which right here in Las Vegas. I feel it is simply preserving the automobile in its candy spot, the tyres within the optimum window.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Workforce, 2nd place, sprays George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Workforce, 1st place, with Champagne on the rostrum
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs
“It exhibits that the automobile may be very, very fast. We have been two seconds faster than our competitors at occasions, when George was pushing, and for the remainder of the day he was simply managing his tempo.”
One facet that Mercedes doesn’t absolutely perceive although is why it escaped the graining issues that different groups – particularly Ferrari – suffered within the race.
“Yeah, unusual,” stated Wolff about that phenomenon. “We have been able to pushing every time we wished to. There was no graining interval, neither on the medium, nor on the onerous.
“Charles tried a couple of occasions to place stress on George, which he defended nice.
“I do not know what the result would have been of that, however he fell off [the cliff], Leclerc, after a couple of laps. He could not maintain the tempo, we did not ever see the signal of graining nor degradation.”
Wolff thinks there may be a component of Mercedes’ largest weak spot – of a rear finish that overheats its tyres as a result of it retains breaking traction – truly proving to be a power this time in serving to preserve its rubber in the best working window.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24 battles with George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs
“While you break traction and it is scorching, then you definitely sort of swing out of the window on a regular basis,” he stated. “And whenever you break traction right here, that was truly useful to maintain the temperatures up on the time.
“So clearly, there’s a sample that some groups actually love the chilly and extract lots of efficiency. And there are some groups which have been so robust when it was scorching.
“Singapore, the McLarens for instance, they dominated and so they simply managed it in the way in which they wished. So, yeah, it could be vital to discover a steadiness for subsequent yr.”
Whereas not but having the total reply as to why issues performed out the way in which they did in Vegas, Wolff sees alternative for Mercedes in digging deep into the info within the hope of discovering one thing that may give it a greater path for 2025.
“This one is a extremely vital consequence,” he stated. “You could have fluctuations over the weekend, after which usually you’ll be able to see we have been good right here [in practice], then we have been not so good in that session.
“However right here, each single session, we have been forward. So a lot of good information that permit us to say no less than we all know what our candy spot is, and that is the place we have to be. It’s then looking for out how we will hit that focus on extra typically.”
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