Our technical expert, Rob van den Heijkant, predicts an intensely competitive title race between McLaren and Red Bull this year. Mercedes, too, has made a significant comeback this season. “There are a few more circuits where they can win,” he says.
McLaren’s Impressive Performance
The team from Woking has truly got their act together. The balance of their car is spot on. Since the Grand Prix in Miami, they have introduced numerous updates, primarily aimed at increasing downforce. They also continually make minor tweaks, such as to the nose of the car. For instance, they have generated slightly more downforce in the middle, where the nose attaches to the floor and front wing. This allows them to reduce pressure on the outer part of the wing, which in turn benefits the airflow towards the rear as it becomes cleaner.
Advantage Over Red Bull
They also have better control over their tires than Red Bull. This could be related to the downforce, as generating more downforce puts more pressure on the tires. This naturally heats them up, but they can be cooled down with larger brake ducts. From there, you can direct the cool air to the rims, for example, to keep the tires from overheating. This is something you can play around with when everything else in the car is in order.
McLaren’s Pure Focus on Vehicle Optimization
McLaren is currently solely focused on optimizing their vehicle. A percentage here, a percentage there. This is, of course, a luxury position. But at this pace, McLaren is guaranteed to win the constructors’ championship.
Mercedes has also made a significant comeback. They previously had a balance issue and simply couldn’t get it under control. Technical Director James Allison admitted that the aerodynamics were not working well with the mechanical grip of the W15. He also confessed that there was little communication between the mechanical engineers and the aerodynamics teams at the factory. This led to some internal changes. I know that several people were dismissed. Now, it seems they have everything under control in Brackley.
Within the Allowable Limits of the Regulations
The balance issue was largely due to the front wing. Earlier this year, Mercedes came up with a clever solution for this wing of the W15. It had a very narrow profile on the top, but they have since abandoned this. The shape is now more standard, like other teams, but the wing is still quite flexible. It all falls just within the allowable limits of the regulations. This has helped to get the balance in order.
The McLaren is still faster, but Mercedes has made a significant leap. There are a few circuits coming up where they will certainly perform well and could even win. This promises to be exciting.
