Mercedes benefits from tric to 'pump up' front axle

Mercedes has had all the pole positions in the first nine Grand Prix. And it has only lost one race. In qualifying, the average gap towards the next best car is 0.680 seconds. In the races the Silver Arrows are on average 18.425 seconds ahead of the competition, Auto Motor und Sport has revealed.

The superiority of the Mercedes has their opponents scratching their heads. Actually, they should have come closer during the winter. The competition always has an easier job because they have more room for improvement. But the advantage of the Mercedes compared to 2014 has increased rather than decreased. In the race he fell slightly.

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There is an initial suspicion why Mercedes is so much faster. The engine produces more power and the car more downforce. Who would have thought? Williams, Force India and Lotus have identical engines. With the same fuel. Compared to those teams the Mercedes generates superior downforce. Which is quite unlikely in the second year of aerodynamic formula.

The Ferrari engine is according to calculations by Mercedes almost equivalent in terms of power. This is also noticeable in the top speeds. The difference is probably that the Mercedes drivers can drive in the power mode more often. Again, one has to wonder that Ferrari lose so much lap time. Just the engine or is there more behind the story?

Force India made an interesting discovery in qualifying at Silverstone. In a detailed GPS turn by turn analysis it appeared that Mercedes wins the most in the corners Vale and Club. "In the last corner, they have killed the competiton," says Force India technical director Andy Green.

A rather slow passage in which not only engine power plays a role. Green tries to explain: "Apparently the Mercedes saves the rear tyres in the first part of the lap and keeps it in such good shape that they still provide grip in the final corners. For the other teams the tyres are already overheated at that point." The Mercedes slips less than the other cars, thus ensuring that the tyres remain in its working window.

But the Force India engineers noticed something else. "They drive on the front axle with an unusual amount of travel. This will help them over the curbs. Still, the car is extremely deep front. That does not really fit together."

The assumption: Mercedes 'pumps up' the front axle for slow corners without having to sacrifice in the sharp forward angle for the fast corners. That would increase the aerodynamic and mechanical downforce. As long as the front and rear axles are not connected like FRIC, this tric is allowed.