Mercedes begins the journey in direction of the beginning of the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship season as we speak 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. Just 80 days in the past, the 2023 season ended. Despite the dearth of racing, the factories at Brackley and Brixworth have been buzzing with exercise. The group has labored exhausting on a undertaking that started virtually 12 months in the past.
In the rapid aftermath of a disappointing 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix, the group regarded exhausting within the mirror at each facet of our operations. A brand new route was set, starting a interval of renewal. Despite 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 know we have a mountain to climb to fight at the very front. There are no miracles in this sport,” Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, commented. “But our ambition and determination are strong. Since charting this new course, development has progressed well. We had several items on our priority list for this car. We will soon see if we’ve made the step we’ve aimed for.”
Continued Evolution
“The design of any car is an iterative process- and a long one at that,” Technical Director James Allison defined. It stretches again to final yr. A brand new automotive allows the group to amplify, inconceivable alterations through the season. These selections are made through the previous summer time.”
These adjustments embrace a brand new chassis and a brand new gearbox casing. Aerodynamically, as ever, the main target has been on effectivity. The infinite quest for locating extra downforce with much less drag and delivering it to the observe in a fashion that enhances the perform of the suspension and tyres.
“A big focus has been improving the previous car’s unpredictable rear axle,” James continued. “We have worked hard to ensure that both axles, particularly the rear axle, retain better control of the tyre than on the W14. There’s also been some housekeeping on areas where we had room for improvement, including the DRS effect and pit stop performance.”
However, the principle differentiating components lie within the underside of the automotive. James added: “With this present technology of automobiles, a lot of the efficiency comes from how the ground interacts with the highway. Whether or not a automotive is sensible is determined by how nicely that ground is permitted to behave aerodynamically.
“We feel like we have had a good winter, but F1 is a relative game, and only time will tell how big a step we’ve made. We’re focused on getting the most from the car we launch, but we are excited by the development race that will follow as the regulations are still young and opportunities abound,” James concluded.
Toto added, “As the saying goes, when it stings, it sticks. The previous two years required us to readjust, recalibrate, and reinvent ourselves in certain areas. That root-and-branch approach is never easy. But we’ve made progress and look forward to taking the next step with the W15. It won’t be a linear path, but when we stumble, we will return and keep climbing.”
Reflecting Who We Are
Another seen distinction with the W15 E Performance? The livery. In a yr when the enduring Silver Arrows mark their ninetieth anniversary, the well-known silver returns to enrich the enduring black of current seasons.
“Performance was always at the forefront of our minds with the black livery last year,” Toto defined. “Weight is a crucial factor in this current generation of cars. We knew that, once we were in the position to do so, we would bring back the Mercedes silver to accompany the black that has become a pillar of our team identity. The livery reflects who we are as a team, with the distinctive colours of INEOS and PETRONAS providing important highlights.”
Therefore, the nostril part transforms to silver, with the enduring three-pointed star sample on the engine cowl. The distinguished INEOS ‘Toto Rosso’ crimson options predominantly on the rear wing and roll hoop in a nod to INEOS Sport, with PETRONAS inexperienced offering a dynamic circulation throughout the automotive.
Like current information, the brand new livery displays the group’s business energy. In current months, blue-chip manufacturers like SAP, WhatsApp, and Luminar have all joined the group’s associate ecosystem.
“Our commercial strategy has evolved over recent years,” Toto defined. “We have always been focused on building long-term relationships with partners that share our values and delivering a clear return on investment. We have now made the conscious decision to refine our partner ecosystem. We want to concentrate on a smaller, select group of partners to serve better and deliver their return on investment. We pride ourselves on trying to be the best in every single area, and we believe this approach is how we can achieve this with our partners.”
A Focused Driver Pairing
Behind the wheel of the W15 E Performance can be race drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
“We’ve learnt and grown as a team over the past two seasons,” George commented. “It’s not been plain sailing, but I truly believe the journey we’ve been on will make us stronger in the long run. The whole team has been working incredibly hard, and we hope to have made a step with the W15 E Performance,” he continued.
“The lessons of the past two years have helped us find our direction,” Lewis added. They’ve enabled us to seek out our north star. It will nonetheless be a piece in progress, however we’ll face no matter challenges current themselves with our heads up, with open minds, and work via them diligently.”
Dialling out the W14’s inconsistent efficiency and typically spiteful rear finish has been a key technical focus. George and Lewis are clear on the rewards if the group can achieve this.
Lewis defined: “If you’re uncomfortable with the car, you cannot achieve maximum performance. A more stable, predictable car will enable us to extract the potential from the car and ourselves as drivers.”
“We made progress with some of the W14’s nastier characteristics throughout last year. But we still had a narrow operating window, and once we were outside that, the car was difficult to drive. If we can continue to widen the car’s operating window, that will provide confidence for us as drivers, and from there, lap time will be easier to find,” George added.
The group’s work has impressed George and Lewis over the previous two years.
“F1 is a challenging sport. It’s tough to win, and that’s why we love it. Every woman and man at Brackley and Brixworth is focused on getting to the top. We will continue with that focus and dedication into 2024, and I’m excited to see where that takes us,” George stated.
Lewis continued: “I know what this team is capable of. I am incredibly grateful for the work of every single person in this team. Every time you’re in the factory, you can see the sheer drive and determination of everyone. We are all mega-motivated for the year ahead and will give it everything on the journey ahead.”
Reserve Drivers Mick Schumacher and Fred Vesti will cowl Lewis and George. Mick will proceed within the function he held in 2023, whereas Fred will step as much as this place after graduating from the Junior Programme.
Teamwork with HPP
Another key contributor to the journey described by Lewis and George is Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains (HPP). Despite being restricted to solely reliability upgrades of the Power Unit, Brixworth has been centered on delivering each millisecond of efficiency potential beneath the laws.
“We’ve worked incredibly closely with our team-mates in Brackley,” Hywel Thomas, Managing Director of HPP, defined. “We all have our piece of the jigsaw we are responsible for. We’re always looking at how we maximise our part and work together to create the strongest possible package. Despite the homologation of the Power Unit, there’s still performance we can bring.”
This might be discovered via the environment friendly integration of the Power 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 Performance hits the observe.
“We are focused on providing the highest-performing but also the most reliable product we can. This year, reliability is arguably even more important than in 2023.”
That is due to the record-breaking size of the 2024 calendar, which is available in at 24 races.
“It’s quite a big challenge,” Hywel admitted. “We know that not finishing races is detrimental to your points scoring, so it’s a huge focus. The change to the regulations to ensure we still have four Power Units across the season is helpful. But we know that with the longest calendar in F1 history, our ability to create the most reliable and performant product possible will still be tested.”
The present technology energy unit homologation, together with decreased dyno hours, is designed to permit producers to stay up for 2026. HPP is completely having fun with that problem.
“It’s excellent to have a rule set that has attracted new manufacturers and has a clear real-world relevance,” concluded Hywel. It’s an opportunity to showcase our expertise, progressive approaches, and the probabilities the game can convey. It’s glorious, and other people smile as they sort out this undertaking.”
The Next Step
The W15 will get its first laps at Silverstone later as we speak. From there, the main target turns to Bahrain.
Toto stated: “We’re intrigued to see how the car will perform. We hope to have solved some of the inherent problems, and we will get our first indications of our progress during pre-season testing. From there, we will understand more about the challenge ahead of us. There are no crystal balls in this sport. But we will at least know the gap we aim to close. Our ambition is strong, and we’re ready to get going.”
