Mercedes focused on making W10 "much kinder" to tyres
Mercedes says it has worked hard to ensure that its new W10 Formula 1 car is "much kinder" to its tyres that its predecessors.
Although the team made big progress last year in improving on the 'diva' characteristics of its tricky W08, the team was still not satisfied with how well the 2018 challenger was able to look after its tyres.
Speaking as Mercedes ran its new W10 for the first time at Silverstone, technical director James Allison said that a lot of effort had been put into ensuring that there was a step gain in tyre management for 2019.
"The handling of the W09 was a big improvement over the rather idiosyncratic W08," said Allison. "We managed to be competitive at tracks which had plagued us in recent years.
"However, notwithstanding this improvement, we were still not as good as some of our competitors at preserving the performance of the rear tyres.
"We have worked hard on the suspension and aerodynamic characteristics to deliver a car that will be much kinder to its tyres – enough, we hope, to allow us to be competitive at all phases of the race and at each track on the calendar."
One other area of focus for the team was in reducing the weight, with Mercedes' long car concept having made it a challenge to hit the minimum weight limit at times in recent years.
Allison explained that an 'aggressive' weight reduction programme had been undertaken on all areas of the car.
"Even though the minimum weight limit was lifted by 10kg for 2019, weight reduction remains a real challenge on the current generation of F1 cars," he said.
"Components that we felt were stripped to the bone in 2018 have been taken, one by one, and subjected to a further round of aggressive analysis to shave further weight from them.
"Some components surrender what feels like a giant step of half a kilo, others just a few grams, but collectively each of these victories add up to a handful of kilos that have been invested back in the car on aerodynamics, suspension and power unit to bring performance."
Mercedes has retained the long wheelbase of its predecessors.
Previous article
The title defender? Mercedes F1 launch the W10
Next article
Red Bull reveals its first Honda-powered F1 car
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Mercedes launch |
| Teams | Mercedes |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Onboard Lap - Imola
Why Mercedes isn't confident it's really ahead of Red Bull at Imola
While Mercedes struck back against Red Bull by topping the times at Imola on Friday ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the overall picture remains incredibly close. Despite having a possible edge this weekend, the reigning Formula 1 world champion squad is not taking anything for granted...
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping .
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is no guarantee.
The themes to watch in F1's Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. Ben Anderson looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
