2020 Mercedes performance advantage
#1

I couldn't really find a suitable thread to resurrect so time for a new one. Don't be afraid of new threads people, they don't cost anything Wink

Mark Hughes view on the Mercedes gap to the field this year

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/artic...-f1-rivals

Interesting he thinks that RBR have taken a backward step more than Mercedes moving forwards, particularly ironic considering the way Horner and Marko were bigging this years car up during winter testing. Hughes seems to indicate that the gap is mostly in the Mercedes low rake philosophy, but I'm not 100% sure I buy that. The regs haven't changed enough to suddenly make that a bigger advantage. Mercedes have always run a flatter car and good for them for not following Adrian Newey like a lot of other teams have. But I've seen some pictures this year (at testing IIRC) where I've thought the Mercedes was actually running higher at the back than normal. I guess it is somewhat circuit specific anyway, but so far the Mercedes and RP's have looked low rake (as expected really).

I have always admired Merc for sticking to their principles and bucking the trend. At the very least their way makes for a much better looking race car (in my view the RBR's have been ugly as sin for many years with their arses stuck up in the air). But I don't buy it being the main reason they are far ahead of rivals. It's clear there has been a performance step forward, otherwise the track records wouldn't be tumbling the way they have at the first two circuits.

The Ferrari bit I agree with. They were doing dodgy things with fuel flow and now that has been closed down the car is way too draggy for the power they have available. They either need a miracle way to restore the power they've lost or they have to redesign. I can't see either happening before the big regulation change / reset in 2022.

I think MH is one of the more level headed F1 analysts (it is not unknown for him to spout bollocks, but usually he's pretty good), so interested in others opinions on that article.
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#2

(28-07-2020, 10:54 AM)morini Wrote:   I can't see either happening before the big regulation change / reset in 2022.

Looks like the Ferrari head honcho agrees with you M.


Ferrari chairman Elkann doesn't expect F1 wins until 2022  (AutoSport)

Ferrari chairman John Elkann, speaking at length to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport about Ferrari's form, suggests that it will not be until new rules come into play in 2022 that it can target returning regularly to the front.

"[Ferrari is going] through a difficult period that starts far back," he said.

"The reality is that our car is not competitive. You saw it on the track and you will see it again. Today we are laying the foundations for being competitive and returning to winning when the rules change in 2022. I am convinced of this."

"The fans are suffering as much as we are, but we know they are close to us," he said. "This is why it is important to be clear and honest with them. A long path awaits us.

"When a man holds you round the throat, I don't think he has come to apologise" 
Ayrton Senna on Nigel Mansell, SPA 1987.   Angel
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#3

(28-07-2020, 10:54 AM)morini Wrote:  I couldn't really find a suitable thread to resurrect so time for a new one. Don't be afraid of new threads people, they don't cost anything Wink

Mark Hughes view on the Mercedes gap to the field this year

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/artic...-f1-rivals

Interesting he thinks that RBR have taken a backward step more than Mercedes moving forwards, particularly ironic considering the way Horner and Marko were bigging this years car up during winter testing. Hughes seems to indicate that the gap is mostly in the Mercedes low rake philosophy, but I'm not 100% sure I buy that. The regs haven't changed enough to suddenly make that a bigger advantage. Mercedes have always run a flatter car and good for them for not following Adrian Newey like a lot of other teams have. But I've seen some pictures this year (at testing IIRC) where I've thought the Mercedes was actually running higher at the back than normal. I guess it is somewhat circuit specific anyway, but so far the Mercedes and RP's have looked low rake (as expected really).

I have always admired Merc for sticking to their principles and bucking the trend. At the very least their way makes for a much better looking race car (in my view the RBR's have been ugly as sin for many years with their arses stuck up in the air). But I don't buy it being the main reason they are far ahead of rivals. It's clear there has been a performance step forward, otherwise the track records wouldn't be tumbling the way they have at the first two circuits.

The Ferrari bit I agree with. They were doing dodgy things with fuel flow and now that has been closed down the car is way too draggy for the power they have available. They either need a miracle way to restore the power they've lost or they have to redesign. I can't see either happening before the big regulation change / reset in 2022.

I think MH is one of the more level headed F1 analysts (it is not unknown for him to spout bollocks, but usually he's pretty good), so interested in others opinions on that article.

I seem to remember an interview with Toto where he said it was particularly satisfying/ironic that they had had to work particularly hard, specifically on the power unit as a direct result of the deficit they seemed to have last year and that the team had managed to pull some extra out of it and that the result may be a combination (inferring Ferrari had gone backwards on power and that Merc had gone forward as well but in part because of the Ferrari "apparent power" last year).
 
That would tally with the lap records tumbling but at the same time it seems to me that the Merc is a lot less of a handful than it has been in the last couple of years (quoted as being a Diva if i remember rightly). It could just be the drivers but the only other car which seemed as well behaved was last years merc painted pink!
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#4

The red cars threw down a challenge last year.....Can you match us for power? Merc upped the ante and as they did the Powers that be decided Ferrari were out with the rules on oil burning.....outcome....,Merc gain .5 a lap with innovativation     Ferrari go backwards for breaching the regulations..
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#5

(28-07-2020, 01:10 PM)PapaofGags Wrote:  Looks like the Ferrari head honcho agrees with you M.

Yeah. Expectation management. The higher up the food chain you get, the more of that you generally have to do.

(28-07-2020, 08:35 PM)PaddyB Wrote:  I seem to remember an interview with Toto where he said it was particularly satisfying/ironic that they had had to work particularly hard, specifically on the power unit as a direct result of the deficit they seemed to have last year and that the team had managed to pull some extra out of it and that the result may be a combination (inferring Ferrari had gone backwards on power and that Merc had gone forward as well but in part because of the Ferrari "apparent power" last year).
 
That would tally with the lap records tumbling but at the same time it seems to me that the Merc is a lot less of a handful than it has been in the last couple of years (quoted as being a Diva if i remember rightly). It could just be the drivers but the only other car which seemed as well behaved was last years merc painted pink!

Well, there's nothing like competition to spur a good team on. I don't think the performance advantage is all about power though, it's simply a damn good all round car this year.

(28-07-2020, 08:54 PM)pennywise Wrote:  The red cars threw down a challenge last year.....Can you match us for power? Merc upped the ante and as they did the Powers that be decided Ferrari were out with the rules on oil burning.....outcome....,Merc gain .5 a lap with innovativation     Ferrari go backwards for breaching the regulations..

Yep, that's about the strength of it. Not exactly what Mark Hughes is saying in that article, but I think he is wide of the mark and you are absolutely correct. What surprises me is how far away RBR seem to be, especially after all the bluster during testing.
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