Mercedes stays under the radar: 'Newey builds the best chassis'

Mercedes top of the class

Mercedes has been dominating Formula 1 since 2014 and the main reason at that time was the new hybrid engine. This gave Mercedes an enormous advantage over the competition, but over the years the chassis has also developed enormously. However, with the longer wheelbase Mercedes still has a concept that few other teams use.

''This is because it is easier not to change. It is always a leap into the unknown. We are happy with our wheelbase. It makes the car a little heavier than the smaller cars in the field, but we believe that this concept gives us a greater aerodynamic advantage,'' says James Allison to Auto, Motor und Sport. Allison also has an idea why nobody copies their idea.

Copy of Newey

''There are two answers. It may be because the media is doing a very good job of telling everyone that Adrian Newey builds the best chassis and that everyone therefore adopts his concept. This keeps us under the radar because everyone thinks we're only so fast because of our powerful engine, while our car is also aerodynamically strong.

''Now the serious answer. Every team has chosen its own path, whether they've taken over from Newey or not. Getting off this path takes a lot of risks, because you've taken your current concept to the next level and you need to start with something new,'' the Mercedes engineer explains the difference.