Wonder when Mercedes will start strapping on the clever bits here? please log in to view this image They're bound to have some bodywork and compared to others its bare, even though the others are probably still in some sort of launch spec. please log in to view this image Also, from yesterday..... please log in to view this image
for me They said the first 4 days will be based on engine reliability and learning. Bahrain will be the real period with aero and ****.
Matt Somerfield ‏@SomersF11m Mercedes @MercedesAMGF1 WO5 Twin element monkey seat (Y100 Winglet) mounted to the RW support pylons @SuttonImages pic.twitter.com/njM9YOWeCK please log in to view this image
Mercedes ran vastly different cooling options at Jerez: please log in to view this image Monkey wing: please log in to view this image and got some good flo-vis going: please log in to view this image
Vettel "not surprised" by strong Mercedes-performance http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/...s-performance-nicht-ueberrascht-14021407.html SV: "All Mercedes-powered cars appeared in Jerez very strong. That made me but not surprised, because it was known already in the run, as has invested much time and effort Mercedes in the new powertrain," said Vettel towards 'Sport Bild'. And yet zero said about the Ferrari engine, clearly not a threat to the mighty Mercedes then. Oh dear...
MERCEDES please log in to view this image Upgrades for the second test included a new horizontal turning vane mounted under the front suspension. Surprisingly, this mimics the Caterham design, although Mercedes also ran more conventional turning vanes. The new vane shares its mounting with the road speed sensor pod and forms a flat wing with downturned tips. It's these tips that do the work, creating a vortex that's directed at the sidepods' leading edges. The changes are all part of the complex flow structures set up at the front of the car to make the underfloor and diffuser create more downforce. Also on the car were a variety of sidepod cooling outlet options, including add-on panels to the flanks of the sidepods to create more cooling area, and also a top body section with a very large rounded outlet around the exhaust tailpipe. This latter, more extreme, solution was only run briefly and will be Mercedes' contingency for extra cooling if temperatures at the opening races are higher than expected.
Mercedes engine produces 900bhp reports now say. http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/monster-mercedes-producing-900hp-report/
I find that a bit difficult to believe. i.e. Vettle said he had no K (electrical energy power at start) so down 160bhp. If Merc power unit really is 900bhp that is about 160bhp more than the others. So Merc engined cars would have annihilated the opposition and there were 2 Farrari's and 2 Renault powered cars in top 10. I can't believe all Merc cars were sand bagging. Mind you Rossberg did the fastest lap on lap 19!!!! So he still had 60% fuel left. Others fastest laps were mainly in the lap 50+.
I'd say Rosberg made a big enough gap to make a 'spare' pitstop if he needed too, then backed off so as not to stress the car and kept the gap at 20+secs.
Maybe the works Mercedes is the only team able to have it at full power atm? I mean take Williams for example they were all over the Ferrari's at one point before Bottas hit the wall.
If they can produce that (Which I doubt) then they will destroy the rest of the field this season. I don't believe it however.
I already don't like the way things are looking at Mercedes. Since testing started up til now Lewis' car has had more unreliability than Rosbergs while Rosberg himself has been racking up the miles smoothly and with ease. Hamiltons side better start showing consistency otherwise he will fall behind. Its early days but these things always add up. Nothing other than a good result will do in Malaysia. I'm not optimistic and it wouldn't surprise me if Lewis runs into trouble again in the next race. Now that Merc have a car to win the title wouldn't it make more sense if they wanted the German driver to win it? I think Lewis is really up against it this year and hes gotta find a way to start dominating Rosberg or I have a feeling the team will get fully behind the German all while using Lewis to maximise the car. I'm sure there's plenty of people within Merc that back Lewis but once the German manufacturers hierarchy decide to get behind Rosberg there really will be very little Lewis or anyone at the team can do about it so I'm hoping this is the season where Lewis grits his teeth and shows the world what we all know he is capable of. Fingers crossed.
It would make complete sense for Mercedes to want a German (Finnish/Monaco) driver to take the title, but I hardly think they're in a position to gamble on one driver just yet. Hamilton traditionally lacks that extra bit of luck and I just think this is a continuation of that. He needs that ounce of luck on his side.
Rosberg is fully up to speed over race distance and I have to say it really irked me to see Lewis yet again have a car failure after doing everything right to put himself in the best possible position. It's not so bad to have a car that fails when it isn't really competitive but to have a beast of a car underneath you fall apart so many times while leading is just unbelievable. I mean what does that do to a persons psychology? So often things go wrong for Lewis when he is in a good position and the trend is noticed by everyone including the fans, media and most importantly his competitors. Things really have got to turn around for him soon as far as luck is concerned otherwise I can see him losing his cool like he did in 2011 after Monaco or maybe even losing interest completely.
I don't believe that at all, the way I see it is that the Mercedes board have brought Lewis in, at a much larger salary that Nico. It makes more sense to me that will prefer Lewis to win to justify their expense. Also I know it's very early, but so far it looks like all we've done this year is swap Red Bull for Mercedes, but by all accounts Mercedes have a bigger advantage. If this pattern plays out I'll be honest and say I'm going to loss interest fairly quickly this season.
I don;t think Mercedes cares who wins the WDC. Provided one of them does AND Mercedes also win the WCC then they'll be happy either way. I'm also not sure how the German's view Nico as a German, in the same way they do Schuey or Vettel.
If Mercedes keep to their word then I think it will be more interesting to see an internal team battle rather than a multi 12 situation. Rosberg is a match for lewis too rather than the previous red bull line up. Its Mercedes championship to lose
