Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the Formula 1 British Grand Prix proved that Mercedes finally seems to be properly back in the game.
Because where George Russell’s triumph in Austria was down to many race leaders crashing out, Hamilton’s victory at Silverstone was one based on pure pace – where it could be argued that the W15 was the fastest car.
Mercedes has made great progress this year and unlocked significant benefits from its car – which are the result of finally understanding what it takes to make an actual fast ground-effect car.
As team boss Toto Wolff said: “It clicked. Suddenly everything that didn’t make sense made sense. And the direction of development is either the results of the directions of development in the old times. We’re finding the performance, we’re putting it into the car, and that translates into lap times. And that wasn’t the case for the last two years.”
But the biggest breakthrough for Mercedes wasn’t the sudden release of a new aero component that produced a ton more downforce.
Instead, according to Wolff, it was down to the way the team under technical director James Allison was able to exploit his package to bring about an excellent balance of the car – which has helped him to a happy place. for Hamilton and Russell.
Wolff added: “There was a moment where, led by James, the data suddenly made sense. The way we did it, the way we balanced the car and how we could get it to a better place – that was the main thing. It wasn’t a front wing miracle. It was more of a balance that we achieved.”
This reference to balance is interesting because it can often be the result of progress under the skin with mechanical aspects such as suspension and springs.
And whether it’s a simple coincidence, or if there’s more to it, a fix to a wasted panel on the nose of the W15 that first appeared at the Austrian Grand Prix may have provided a clue to a change of possible shock absorber that may have contributed to its progression.
Mercedes W15 technical details
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
The comfort panel (pictured above) features a new vent, which the team claims is all related to cooling – and is a means of increasing the passage of cold air into the cockpit, albeit without the forward-facing intake that the team has previously used .
However, the idea that the new blower is entirely related to cooling seems to be at odds with how air would move through that part of the car. Usually, you would expect driver cooling to be sent to a specific region.
This eliminates some of the messy flow conditions that would occur, which is especially problematic when we consider how many different components are placed in that region, some of which are suspension elements and are moving.
Additionally, it seems rather odd to have increased the inflation to potentially provide more airflow, but at the same time that a front vent is closed to outside air.
Furthermore, the team did not present the vanity panel as changed in the car’s presentation document at the Austrian Grand Prix – which somewhat rules it out as updated from an aerodynamic point of view.
Fast forward to the British GP and keeping this new chassis bump in cold conditions not conducive to drivers looking for extra cooling fed the idea that there’s more to the change than meets the eye – and that the real answer lies in what it is changed below the panel.
Indeed, while the team is not confirming it, a detailed study of the components in this area points to a revised damper layout that requires more space. Such a change could be critical in helping Mercedes add further stability to its aero platform and, once again, achieve that balance it has been chasing for so long.
Mercedes certainly has precedent for adding a bump to this area of the car when it has made suspension changes in the past.
Mercedes W06 hydraulic parts, front suspension
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
In 2016, this was a dual-purpose test as the team experimented with a new tune-up on the W06 for the coming season that included an ‘S’ channel tweak and a revised damper.
It was during that time period that Mercedes was widely acknowledged to have the best control over suspension kinematics and their influence on the aerodynamic platform of the entire grid.
For example, Mercedes had one of the most advanced versions of the front-rear linked (FRIC) suspension systems, before the concept was banned. It was this that laid the foundation for his highly successful hydraulic suspension systems that followed.
A move to more traditional spring and damper arrangements with the current cars has undoubtedly eroded some of the assistance that Mercedes and other teams provided before the regulation changes.
It now has a Belleville Spring arrangement, which is almost unanimously agreed upon as the best route to take for shock absorber design, and Mercedes uses the method as a means to help control the vertical displacement of the chassis.
It is this component that is the likely candidate for upgrade or replacement that has led to the use of the inflatable vanity panel.
Mercedes W15 technical details
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
A modified lift element and/or a change in component position would also tie in with some of the aerodynamic tweaks the team has made recently. The tweaks here will go hand in hand with providing a more stable platform, something the team has struggled with throughout this regulatory era.
The W15 also now seems more responsive to a range of conditions and downforce levels, while the updates shown on the car in the past seem to have worked well at one circuit but missed their target elsewhere.