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Mercedes comes for Australian Grand Prix already with new rear wing
- GPblog.com
Mercedes is still struggling with the bouncing W13 and a lack of speed on the straight. In conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport an engineer from the German racing team puts his finger on the problem.
Misunderstanding at Mercedes
After eight world titles in a row, the 2022 Formula One season has gotten off to a rough start for Mercedes. The German racing stable is currently second in the constructors' championship, but that is only because of Red Bull Racing' s double elimination in Bahrain. Indeed, in qualifying and the race, Mercedes is far behind Ferrari and Red Bull.
After a windfall in Bahrain with a third and fourth place, Mercedes was thrown far back in Saudi Arabia with a fifth and tenth place. Lewis Hamilton did not even make it through Q1 on Saturday. ''We expected to bounce less because the Jeddah circuit is much smoother. However, we were wrong. We still don't understand how this phenomenon (porpoising) starts. We keep learning,'' an engineer from Mercedes told AMuS.
Mercedes continues to fight
The bouncing causes the team to have to adjust the car much higher than it wants, which in turn causes other problems. Namely, the W13 of Hamilton and George Russell lacks top speed. The engine is a part where a few tenths are lost, but Mercedes engineers say that it has more to do with the air resistance.
The competition remains alert, because Mercedes can also turn the tide. At the moment it seems to be an accumulation of factors starting with the bouncing. If Mercedes solves that problem, Hamilton and Russell may be able to attack Ferrari and Red Bull Racing. In Australia, Mercedes is already coming out with a new rear wing, so who knows, that may already help the team move forward.