Mercedes said that the 2024 Formula One car has “70 points more downforce” than the previous model year, although lap times do not reflect this.
For the third consecutive year since significant modifications to aerodynamic regulations were implemented in 2022, the eight-time constructors’ world champions are having a challenging start to the season.
Mercedes has yet to finish higher than fifth in a grand prix, and the W15’s performance has been lackluster and uneven during the first four races even after they changed the design of the car for 2024.
Toto Wolff, the boss of Mercedes, recently acknowledged that the team’s continuous problems in Formula One were caused by “fundamental” correlation flaws.
He now acknowledges that the W15 is generating the downforce levels that the wind tunnel showed, but ominously, there doesn’t seem to be any performance gain.
We have 70 points more downforce in a specific Melbourne corner than we had the previous year, according to the data we are gathering using our sensors and pressure tabs to measure downforce, added Wolff.
However, the lap time does not increase by one kilometer per hour. It’s not logical at all. Where is the restriction, then?
“I believe that in order to comprehend, we wanted to check off a few boxes: have we identified any limitations? I believe there is.
Mercedes is currently investigating whether the anomaly is mechanical in nature or aerodynamic in nature.
“Everything we have observed over the past two years suggests that there should be a lot more downward force than we now think there is. And we’ve measured the downforce now, and it exists,” said Wolff.
However, the simulations indicate that we just aren’t able to get the lap time that we should. It’s not insignificant.
“I see you staring at me as if I’m crazy. Imagine what we think now!
Wolff went on, “I believe that the car is extremely complex for us when it comes to mechanical and error balancing.” These two must be related.
“Over the past few years, we’ve followed a specific course and kept wheeling and looping. We reached a point when we realized we needed to approach this differently.