Mercedes prepares second part of the update package for the 2024 Formula 1 car at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The first part of the update was rushed to be available at the previous race in Miami, but despite McLaren’s success with their own update, the revised Mercedes car struggled in qualifying and only managed a sixth place in the race. According to our technical consultant Gary Anderson, this update highlights Mercedes’ lack of understanding on how to maximize the performance of the current generation of cars.
The update package introduced by Mercedes at the Miami Grand Prix was not as extensive or effective as McLaren’s. This shows that, even in the third year of the current regulations, there are still uncertainties regarding Mercedes’ development direction. The changes made to the front wing, one of the key areas affected by the update, were likely designed to achieve the desired aerodynamic balance and match the levels of downforce and drag of the rear wing. However, these changes also raise questions about Mercedes’ design choices.
Since the debut of the 2024 Mercedes car with its distinctive inner section of the front wing, there have been three significant changes. These changes have focused on the rear edge of the outermost flap. The goal has been to make this rear edge more uniform and less irregular, moving in the right direction. However, there is still work to be done to ensure that the flow coming out of the front wing is as consistent as the front edge of the floor requires.
The internal section of the front wing is also a cause for concern. The aggressive camber (angle of attack) in this section, especially in the second element, affects the airflow that feeds the diffuser. The flow passes under the nose section and ends up between the two splitters of the internal floor. However, the aggressive camber of this internal section causes the critical flow to lose energy before reaching the front edge of the floor.
The opening between the front wing elements remained the same throughout the season and appears to be on the larger side. This suggests that Mercedes is trying to address flow stability issues in this area. However, an opening of this size means that the central section of the front element does not significantly contribute to generating front downforce. Most of the flow needed by the aggressive camber of the front wing is pulled through the opening.
Another area of development is the outer edge of the front floor section. Mercedes has added more turning vanes in an attempt to improve performance. However, introducing too many turning vanes can result in interference, as the vortices they create can disrupt each other. In some cases, a simpler approach may be more effective.
Although I am not directly involved in Mercedes’ operations, sometimes an external perspective can provide valuable insights. It can be challenging to make rational decisions when deeply involved in day-to-day operations. The demands for improvement can lead to hasty choices that may not produce the desired results.
The director of engineering at Mercedes, Andrew Shovlin, believes that the Miami package was a step forward, although the overall performance was masked by ongoing issues with the car and the rapid development of rival teams. Shovlin acknowledges that the car’s behavior can vary significantly from one session to another, making it difficult to fully exploit the benefits of the upgrades. However, the team has a clear understanding of what needs to be done to address the handling issues and is working on a series of updates for the upcoming races.
Team principal Toto Wolff is confident that Mercedes is moving in the right direction to solve the issues with their car. He acknowledges that the learning process has been painful, but believes that the situation is now more encouraging. Wolff identifies low-speed performance as the main remaining challenge and emphasizes the need for a balanced car that performs well in both low and high-speed situations. The upcoming races in Monaco, Montreal, and Barcelona will provide opportunities to assess the effectiveness of the team’s developments, with the low-speed corners of Montreal potentially being more favorable for Mercedes. The team is focused on bringing performance upgrades to the car to overcome their current challenges.
© 2024
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© 2024
