The rainy initial practice session at Spa-Francorchamps left teams uncertain about deciding their most effective arrangements for the Belgian weekend, particularly with parc ferme conditions becoming active from the onset of the qualifying session on Friday afternoon.
Lewis Hamilton confessed that determining the best way to tackle the situation was entirely speculative. Eventually, Mercedes decided to secure its position by choosing a dual downforce configuration across both of its cars – one low and one high.
Russell’s choice of a higher downforce may have put him at a disadvantage during the dry Q3 session, as he finished seven-tenths slower than Hamilton. However, this decision might still prove beneficial if the races turn out to be wet or if tyre wear becomes a significant factor.
Addressing the variance in performance between the two cars, where Hamilton secured the third starting position for Sunday while Russell lagged behind at eighth, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff informed Sky Sports F1 about their diverging choices.
“We implemented two contrasting rear wings and configurations,” he elaborated. “You can observe that Lewis is simply able to extract superior performance from his setup.”
When questioned if Russell’s choice was detrimental, Wolff responded, “It does, he has what resembles a barn door at the rear. Yet, this could favor tyre performance on Sunday. It didn’t prove helpful today, so we need to investigate why that’s the case.”
Despite Russell being aware of his wing selection, he was somewhat perplexed as to why his pace was lagging.
“We have consistently been trailing,” he admitted. “Frankly, we faced difficulties in that session and can’t pinpoint the reason. I usually thrive in such transitional sessions, but every lap we were off the mark.
“So, we need to revise and comprehend. We realize that qualifying is not the be-all and end-all here, but certainly, we would have preferred to rank higher.”
Hamilton, content with his grid position, also expressed that the time he lost in the middle sector due to his wing configuration was suboptimal.
“With FP1, it involved wet running and preparing the setup for today’s qualifying, which finally turned dry – it was virtually a big guessing game,” he explained. “I’m optimistic that the car will perform well during tomorrow’s race.
“Generally, the car performed fairly well. It’s just in the middle sector where we’re dropping a second. So, I need to analyze and determine the reason, and see if there’s a way to bridge this gap with the package I have.”
Also, read:
Ricciardo: Sprint showdown “mitigated pain” of Q1 departure in Spa F1 qualifying
Verstappen “fortunate” to survive Q2 in Belgian GP F1 qualifying
Leclerc: Efforts on addressing mixed condition shortcomings “yielded results” at Spa F1
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Mercedes F1 Car Wing Configurations
What different wing configurations did Mercedes use in the Spa-Francorchamps race?
Mercedes used two different wing configurations at the Spa-Francorchamps race – one car had a lower downforce and the other a higher downforce.
What was the performance disparity between Hamilton and Russell?
Hamilton was able to secure the third starting position while Russell lagged behind at eighth due to the difference in their car configurations.
Why was Russell’s higher downforce choice potentially disadvantageous?
Russell’s choice of a higher downforce may have put him at a disadvantage during the dry Q3 session, as he finished seven-tenths slower than Hamilton. However, this decision might still prove beneficial if the races turn out to be wet or if tyre wear becomes a significant factor.
How did Mercedes boss Toto Wolff respond to the question of whether Russell’s choice was detrimental?
Wolff admitted that Russell’s option, referred to as a “barn door”, did affect his performance. However, he also suggested that this could favor tyre performance on Sunday and that they need to investigate why it didn’t prove helpful on the day of the race.
What was Hamilton’s opinion on the car setup and his performance?
Hamilton stated that deciding the best way to approach the situation was entirely speculative. Despite being happy about his grid slot, he noted the time he lost in the middle sector due to his wing configuration was not ideal. He remained hopeful, however, that the car will perform well during the race.
More about Mercedes F1 Car Wing Configurations
- Formula 1 Official Website
- Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team
- Spa-Francorchamps Circuit Official Website
- Sky Sports F1
- F1 Technical
6 comments
Never seen such a game of chance in F1 before, crazy how they gotta guess the setups cause of the weather. Hah.
Hamilton still killin it despite the conditions, always finding a way! we’ll see how this ‘barn door’ works out for Russell…
Trust in Toto, he knows what he’s doing. Let’s see if Russell can make a comeback on race day. Fingers crossed!
A second loss in the middle sector is huge. Hamilton’s got some work to do but if anyone can do it, it’s him.
If it’s wet on race day, Russell might be the one laughing last! Let’s see how it goes, can’t wait for Sunday.
Russell has gotta step up his game! 7 tenths slower, not a good look mate, not good at all.