We are working on the wheelbase of the W01 at Mercedes GP

The situation of Mercedes GP is complicated. In a very short time, the team was born after the resounding success of the late Brawn GP. A 100% changed line-up, Nico Rosberg, the young and talented German driver teamed with the returning seven-time world champion in a red helmet, Michael Schumacher.

After these first four races, one should not compare last season with this one. Indeed, while Brawn GP was leading with a spectacular start, it is now difficult to find the DNA of the world champion cars in these new silver arrows. Schumi was expected to be the big brother capable of dominating the pack of young wolves. However, the Red Baron is being dominated by his young teammate, Rosberg, who is scoring points, is consistent, and manages to get the best out of a car that is less advantageous than last year’s. For Schumacher, there is another major issue: the car does not match his driving style, which would partly explain Rosberg’s upper hand.

Mercedes GP is trying to find solutions to improve the performance of the W01. One solution could be introduced as early as the next Grand Prix in Spain. The idea considered is the lengthening of the wheelbase, which could also bring solutions to the issues of weight distribution. Ross Brawn previously revealed that the team had difficulty calculating the weight distribution according to the needs of the tires. He states: « The problem is not really the wheelbase itself, it’s the weight distribution. We can’t achieve a good weight distribution. »

He specifies his analysis:

«When we came to test these tires, we realized that we didn’t have the correct weight distribution and we reached the limit of what we could achieve with this car. The tires are really different… and we didn’t have the opportunity to test them, and we couldn’t anticipate this like other teams did. Therefore, we will have an evolution of the car in Barcelona which will give us a better possibility in weight distribution.»

The team based in Brackley is expected to bring a significant aerodynamic upgrade next month in Barcelona, including this extension of the wheelbase.

In addition to aiding in car control, changes in weight distribution can help mitigate the understeering tendency of the single-seater. On this specific point, we can note Mercedes GP’s efforts to address what Michael Schumacher doesn’t like about the W01. It’s no secret that the German driver prefers an oversteering car. For many, this detail is what might prevent the seven-time world champion from shining.

Brawn also indicated that the German team should very quickly have a complete version of the “F-Duct” system, after testing an initial draft in China. He confirms: The McLaren system, which is driver-operated, is very complicated and difficult to operate correctly. McLaren designed this car from the start to include this process. It is not so easy to apply it to others. What we had in China was a simple passive system. It is not driver-operated, so it is not as effective as the McLaren system.

He concludes: «We are still working on our own system, which we will have in Barcelona or Istanbul. It is complicated to get it to work properly, but our aerodynamicists are working on this project.»

It is to be hoped that the significant modifications announced by Mercedes GP will allow the Silver Arrows (official) to compete with McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari. One must believe that these changes will put Schumacher back on the right track, while still hoping that Rosberg will not be disoriented at the wheel of a car that might no longer suit him.