Mercedes is aware of the problems it faces in this 2022 Formula 1 season, and it is that the W13 did not impress in the first free practice sessions of the Bahrain Grand Prix, following the dynamics of the tests.
Despite the changes made to the car and despite fitting the softest tires available in the Pirelli range for this first round at Sakhir, none of its drivers were able to extract the performance expected by the Silver Arrows.
Winter testing mishaps have carried over to the start of the season as Lewis Hamilton, despite benefiting from the ground edge modification, and George Russell, still with the standard version at first and later with the upgrade They weren’t overly fast. This is a sign that the Brackleys have lost their way in terms of developing their car with the new technical rules.
The two backgrounds they tested on the Mercedes W13
As we reported at Motorsport.com, the German team has most likely lost the correlation of some simulation data with the track and therefore continues to suffer like no other with porpoising , the rebound effect that occurs in the straight lines when going at high speeds and that makes the car go up and down repeatedly.
This is so because the aerodynamic pumping that is generated causes a thrust towards the asphalt that is greater than the absorption capacity of the suspension, so the elastic elements reach almost flush with the track and push upwards.
The problem seems less pronounced than in last week’s testing, but it persists, and doesn’t allow the starting driver duo to realize the true potential of the radical W13.
In Hamilton ‘s car, the German engineers have decided to slightly raise the long trailing edge in the central part of the bottom with the intention of allowing air to pass through and limit the effect of porpoising , keeping the car as low as possible in relation to the car. asphalt.
In front of the rear wheel, the metal brace granted by the FIA to the teams reinforces the floor and makes it less flexible, but the updates seem to be in vain due to the large amount of sparks released by the W13.
It will be interesting to see what kind of bottom Mercedes use for the rest of the weekend, and it is likely that they will resort to a solution with more ground clearance to improve the handling of the car and avoid porpoising , although this would cause a loss of load.
