The second F1 race of 2024 is fast approaching. The first free practice for the Saudi Arabian GP will begin in a few hours. Max Verstappen’s Red Bull won in Bahrain, with Ferrari second in the standings thanks to Sainz crossing the line P3 and Leclerc P4.
For Mercedes, it was a rather disappointing start to the season. This was mainly due to an incorrect choice of cooling system, which caused the W15 to underperform.
However, there are also some positive aspects, according to James Allison:
“In Bahrain, we understood that our car is more stable and more predictable than the W14.
“It also seems reliable, and I think it’s a good basis we can work with,” said the English engineer.
Mercedes PU overheating: great work in the last two days to understand the problem
If the W15 ‘surprised’ in terms of pace in qualifying, the Sunday race was very disappointing.
“I think we looked better on Friday. We are investigating to explain the setback. But I am optimistic that in Jeddah, we will be able to show the real pace,” said Shovlin.
This was critical in creating the gap between Ferrari and Mercedes. Mercedes paid dearly for their incorrect choice of cooling in their battle with the Scuderia.
“This was the biggest unanswered mystery of the weekend,” Allison candidly admitted in the post-race debriefing.
“It’s always a gamble choosing the level of cooling because you have to predict what the weather will be like on Sunday.
“But the temperature we experienced on race day was incredibly close to what we had predicted.
“We got the engine cooling wrong by more than 1 or 2 degrees. And this is extremely unusual, ” said the English engineer.
“Once, with the temperatures, you are above the limit value, you can’t do anything other than lift and coast at the end of the straights.
“But this wastes time and, above all, makes you lose tyre temperature,” continued the technical director. Allison admits the person is not yet resolved.
This was last Monday. However, the team has worked hard in the last two days to understand the problem.
Still, it should be underlined that Mercedes is still not certain the issue is solved.
“Only until we actually put the car on the track will we be able to say 100% that the problem is solved,” a source close to the team told us.
According to Lewis Hamilton, the problem is not only due to a question of choice of cooling level. The issue is also linked “to many other areas of the car.”
This is something that clashes with what George Russell said, with the 26-year-old downplaying the issues.
“It would have been quite simple to open the bodywork a little more,” the English driver stated.
How much did it cost in terms of lap time? Russell said it was four-tenths, whilst Toto Wolff mentioned up to half a second.
Meanwhile, Shovlin spoke of “three-tenths at most, which on average became two (per lap)”, i.e. around 10-12 seconds in Russell’s race.
Additionally, there was a further loss due to the understeer generated by lifting and coasting. The front tyres cooled down, and the W15 began suffering from understeer.
Allison: “Jeddah? I would like a clean weekend that allows us to evaluate the true pace of the W15″
In the Bahrain GP there was a rather unusual radio team with Lewis Hamilton complaining about his seat possibly breaking.
“We checked Lewis’ seat straight away, and it was fine.
“We believe his seat belts loosened slightly, and the seat rose and fell… [causing some disconnection]
“However, there is no evidence that it broke,” Shovlin said.
But what is most interesting a few hours before the start of the second weekend of the season is the performance that the W15 will show in Saudi Arabia.
For the team, it will be another weekend of understanding.
“In Bahrain, we absolutely didn’t get the most out of the car. The understeer we had, especially with the Hard tyre, cost us dearly.
“And the overheating added another 10-12 seconds to our race,” said James Allison.
“Our goal is to arrive in Jeddah and then Melbourne with set-ups that meet the needs of those tracks, with updates that we hope to bring from the factory to increase our chances in some way.”
The 2024 specification medium-low load wing will make its debut on the Arabian track.
“I hope we will have the correct level of cooling, an excellent balance between qualifying and the race.”
Allison still showed some doubts about precisely what limited the W15 in Bahrain.
Author: Piergiuseppe Donadoni
Translation: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
