Mercedes begins the journey in direction of the beginning of the 2024 FIA Method One World Championship season right now with the launch of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W15 E PERFORMANCE.
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FP1 in Bahrain, the beginning of the 2024 marketing campaign, lies 15 days away. Simply 80 days in the past, the 2023 season ended. Regardless of the dearth of racing, the factories at Brackley and Brixworth have been buzzing with exercise. The staff has labored laborious on a challenge that started virtually 12 months in the past.
Within the speedy aftermath of a disappointing 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix, the staff appeared laborious within the mirror at each side of our operations. A brand new path was set, starting a interval of renewal. Regardless of the restrictions of the W14’s pre-existing structure, there was tangible progress. A tough-fought, year-long battle netted second within the Constructors’ Championship. The mission continues into 2024.
“We all know we now have a mountain to climb to combat on the very entrance. There are not any miracles on this sport,” Toto Wolff, Workforce Principal & CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Workforce, commented. “However our ambition and willpower are robust. Since charting this new course, improvement has progressed effectively. We had a number of objects on our precedence checklist for this automotive. We’ll quickly see if we’ve made the step we’ve aimed for.”
Continued Evolution
“The design of any automotive is an iterative process- and an extended one at that,” Technical Director James Allison defined. It stretches again to final 12 months. A brand new automotive allows the staff to extend, inconceivable alterations in the course of the season. These selections are made in the course of the previous summer season.”
These modifications embrace a brand new chassis and a brand new gearbox casing. Aerodynamically, as ever, the main target has been on effectivity. The countless quest for locating extra downforce with much less drag and delivering it to the monitor in a way that enhances the perform of the suspension and tyres.
“An enormous focus has been enhancing the earlier automotive’s unpredictable rear axle,” James continued. “We’ve labored laborious to make sure that each axles, significantly the rear axle, retain higher management of the tyre than on the W14. There’s additionally been some housekeeping on areas the place we had room for enchancment, together with the DRS impact and pit cease efficiency.”
Nevertheless, the principle differentiating components lie within the underside of the automotive. James added: “With this present era of automobiles, a lot of the efficiency comes from how the ground interacts with the street. Whether or not or not a automotive is sensible will depend on how effectively that flooring is permitted to behave aerodynamically.
“We really feel like we now have had a great winter, however F1 is a relative recreation, and solely time will inform how large a step we’ve made. We’re centered on getting essentially the most from the automotive we launch, however we’re excited by the event race that may comply with because the laws are nonetheless younger and alternatives abound,” James concluded.
Toto added, “Because the saying goes, when it stings, it sticks. The earlier two years required us to readjust, recalibrate, and reinvent ourselves in sure areas. That root-and-branch strategy isn’t simple. However we’ve made progress and stay up for taking the subsequent step with the W15. It gained’t be a linear path, however once we stumble, we are going to return and hold climbing.”
Reflecting Who We Are
One other seen distinction with the W15 E Efficiency? The livery. In a 12 months when the enduring Silver Arrows mark their ninetieth anniversary, the well-known silver returns to enhance the enduring black of current seasons.
“Efficiency was all the time on the forefront of our minds with the black livery final 12 months,” Toto defined. “Weight is a vital issue on this present era of automobiles. We knew that, as soon as we had been within the place to take action, we might carry again the Mercedes silver to accompany the black that has turn into a pillar of our staff id. The livery displays who we’re as a staff, with the distinctive colors of INEOS and PETRONAS offering vital highlights.”
Subsequently, the nostril part transforms to silver, with the enduring three-pointed star sample on the engine cowl. The distinguished INEOS ‘Toto Rosso’ purple options predominantly on the rear wing and roll hoop in a nod to INEOS Sport, with PETRONAS inexperienced offering a dynamic circulate throughout the automotive.
Like current information, the brand new livery displays the staff’s business energy. In current months, blue-chip manufacturers like SAP, WhatsApp, and Luminar have all joined the staff’s associate ecosystem.
“Our business technique has advanced over current years,” Toto defined. “We’ve all the time been centered on constructing long-term relationships with companions that share our values and delivering a transparent return on funding. We’ve now made the aware determination to refine our associate ecosystem. We wish to consider a smaller, choose group of companions to serve higher and ship their return on funding. We pleasure ourselves on attempting to be one of the best in each single space, and we consider this strategy is how we are able to obtain this with our companions.”
A Centered Driver Pairing
Behind the wheel of the W15 E Efficiency shall be race drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
“We’ve learnt and grown as a staff over the previous two seasons,” George commented. “It’s not been plain crusing, however I really consider the journey we’ve been on will make us stronger in the long term. The entire staff has been working extremely laborious, and we hope to have made a step with the W15 E Efficiency,” he continued.
“The teachings of the previous two years have helped us discover our path,” Lewis added. They’ve enabled us to seek out our north star. It’s going to nonetheless be a piece in progress, however we are going to face no matter challenges current themselves with our heads up, with open minds, and work by them diligently.”
Dialling out the W14’s inconsistent efficiency and generally spiteful rear finish has been a key technical focus. George and Lewis are clear on the rewards if the staff can accomplish that.
Lewis defined: “In the event you’re uncomfortable with the automotive, you can not obtain most efficiency. A extra secure, predictable automotive will allow us to extract the potential from the automotive and ourselves as drivers.”
“We made progress with a few of the W14’s nastier traits all through final 12 months. However we nonetheless had a slender working window, and as soon as we had been exterior that, the automotive was tough to drive. If we are able to proceed to widen the automotive’s working window, that may present confidence for us as drivers, and from there, lap time shall be simpler to seek out,” George added.
The staff’s work has impressed George and Lewis over the previous two years.
“F1 is a difficult sport. It’s powerful to win, and that’s why we like it. Each lady and man at Brackley and Brixworth is targeted on attending to the highest. We’ll proceed with that focus and dedication into 2024, and I’m excited to see the place that takes us,” George stated.
Lewis continued: “I do know what this staff is able to. I’m extremely grateful for the work of each single particular person on this staff. Each time you’re within the manufacturing unit, you may see the sheer drive and willpower of everybody. We’re all mega-motivated for the 12 months forward and can give it all the things on the journey forward.”
Reserve Drivers Mick Schumacher and Fred Vesti will cowl Lewis and George. Mick will proceed within the position he held in 2023, whereas Fred will step as much as this place after graduating from the Junior Programme.
Teamwork with HPP
One other key contributor to the journey described by Lewis and George is Mercedes AMG Excessive-Efficiency Powertrains (HPP). Regardless of being restricted to solely reliability upgrades of the Energy Unit, Brixworth has been centered on delivering each millisecond of efficiency potential below the laws.
“We’ve labored extremely intently with our team-mates in Brackley,” Hywel Thomas, Managing Director of HPP, defined. “All of us have our piece of the jigsaw we’re liable for. We’re all the time how we maximise our half and work collectively to create the strongest potential package deal. Regardless of the homologation of the Energy Unit, there’s nonetheless efficiency we are able to carry.”
This may be discovered by the environment friendly integration of the Energy Unit annually into the chassis and gearbox or the work on the dyno forward of testing to make sure mileage is maximised as soon as the W15 E Efficiency hits the monitor.
“We’re centered on offering the highest-performing but in addition essentially the most dependable product we are able to. This 12 months, reliability is arguably much more vital than in 2023.”
That’s due to the record-breaking size of the 2024 calendar, which is available in at 24 races.
“It’s fairly an enormous problem,” Hywel admitted. “We all know that not ending races is detrimental to your factors scoring, so it’s an enormous focus. The change to the laws to make sure we nonetheless have 4 Energy Models throughout the season is useful. However we all know that with the longest calendar in F1 historical past, our capability to create essentially the most dependable and performant product potential will nonetheless be examined.”
The present era energy unit homologation, together with diminished dyno hours, is designed to permit producers to sit up for 2026. HPP is completely having fun with that problem.
“It’s glorious to have a rule set that has attracted new producers and has a transparent real-world relevance,” concluded Hywel. It’s an opportunity to showcase our expertise, progressive approaches, and the probabilities the game can carry. It’s glorious, and other people smile as they deal with this challenge.”
The Subsequent Step
The W15 will get its first laps at Silverstone later right now. From there, the main target turns to Bahrain.
Toto stated: “We’re intrigued to see how the automotive will carry out. We hope to have solved a few of the inherent issues, and we are going to get our first indications of our progress throughout pre-season testing. From there, we are going to perceive extra in regards to the problem forward of us. There are not any crystal balls on this sport. However we are going to no less than know the hole we goal to shut. Our ambition is robust, and we’re able to get going.”
