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To me it looks like it’s adjusting the toe in, keep an eye on the top/inside of the tyres at the end of the straight
Faceache link.
Yep, if you watch it at 1:15 on that Facebook vid, as Hamilton enters the main straight he pulls in the wheel and theres quote a large toe-in effect on the front wheels.
Intriguing.
So why spend the $$$s in the first place if they don't think it's legal?
Do wheels class as moveable aero as they move anyway! Up/Down/Left/Right! 🙂
So why spend the $$$s in the first place if they don’t think it’s legal?
Do wheels class as moveable aero as they move anyway! Up/Down/Left/Right! 🙂
If it’s toe rather than rake (which from the FB link it does look like it) I’ll bet the other teams argue active suspension instead or something along those lines. Still think it’ll get the ban hammer. iirc there are rules on allowable movement of the steering column/wheel too?
They develop these things as they’re all absolute chancers
From memory if it’s driver adjusted, not ‘puter aided it’s *legal?
*I may be imagining/making this up.
Because it allows them to test changed toe-in in testing without returning to the pits to physically change it, and it'll get all the other teams into a froth and not looking at whatever it is they actually want to hide?
I can't see them being allowed to run it in races, and they must know that too, unless they've done a "Brawn" and had a really thorough conversation with the FiA, and it'll be legal for a few races until Ferrari get it banned.
From memory if it’s driver adjusted, not ‘puter aided it’s *legal?
Similar to the McLaren F-duct that the driver open/closed with their knee?
That got banned too
https://www.eurosport.com/formula-1/f1-to-ban-f-duct_sto2321079/story.shtml
sobriety
Member
Because it allows them to test changed toe-in in testing without returning to the pits to physically change it
Looks more like a change in position that reverts to normal under braking, hence pulling to deploy then braking forces will help/make it return.
Other manually operated things that have been banned: McLaren's extra brake pedal
Yes, can see the toe in change in the video here:
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.tech-insight-have-mercedes-just-changed-the-game-with-new-steering-wheel.78KDOPX7xRy9YtaFZPCKC4.html
IIRC, the McLaren brake thing was banned on the grounds that it was four-wheel-steering.
Merc are calling it "Dual Access Steering" .
If anyone wants a wee read from McLarens POV: https://www.mclaren.com/racing/inside-the-mtc/mclaren-extra-pedal-3153421/
Happy to be proved wrong, but I struggle to believe that they'd develop a complex system to tweak toe-in just for use in testing - it's so relatively simple to change in a pit stop, would it be worth the development time/cost etc?
all not well at red bull & renault
merc say it's not just for testing and it's been given the Nod from the FIA
Autosport make it sound like it's on shakey ground
F1 rules regarding suspension and steering are quite clear with regards to what teams are and are not allowed to do.
Article 10.2.3 is explicit that any adjustment to the suspension system can only be made when the car is stationary.
"No adjustment may be made to any suspension system while the car is in motion," it states.
Article 10.2.2 states: "Any powered device which is capable of altering the configuration or affecting the performance of any part of any suspension system is forbidden."
Without knowing how the Mercedes system works, it is unclear if it breaches any of the above regulations.
F1 rules are also clear that any power steering systems can only be utilised to help minimise the effort a driver needs to put in to steer the car.
Article 10.4.2 states: "Power assisted steering systems may not be electronically controlled or electrically powered.
"No such system may carry out any function other than reduce the physical effort required to steer the car."
There's speculation that the device changes the toe angle on long straights to retain more heat in the tyres, but whatever the purpose it's certainly bending the rules as far as they can go. There's definitely a geometry change taking place that isn't merely the result of applying more lock on the steering as we've seen with Red Bull's design this year.
finger boy is looking a little pale.
F1 rules are also clear that any power steering systems can only be utilised to help minimise the effort a driver needs to put in to steer the car.
I wonder if Merc argue that by changing the toe angle it requires less effort for the driver to steer thru corners?!
all not well at red bull & renault
in what way?
Mercedes' new 'trumbone' steering wheel system created quite the debate in the morning session, and technical director James Allison spoke to the media in the lunch break about that device.
The main headline quotes were that it's called a 'DAS' system - which Sky Sports has learnt is an acronym for Dual Axes Steering - and that there are no concerns about its legality.
"We have a system in the car, it's a novel idea and we've got a name for it, it's called DAS," said Allison. "It just introduces an extra dimension in the steering for the driver which we hope will be useful during the season.
"But precisely how we use it, why we use it... that's something we'll keep to ourselves."
On the legality questions, he added: "This isn't news to the FIA, it's something we've been talking to them about for some time. The rules are pretty clear about what's permitted on steering systems and we feel confident that it matches all of those requirements."
From Sky F1
Marc speculates
in what way?
floors off and shutters up.
back out now, have to say the honda no longer sounds like a bag of nails
Racing Point still fastest, Danny Ric second fastest. Bottas slowest.
Hot take: It's hard to read anything at all into the testing times.
slow smokey merc
Be interesting to see what that Merc device does. They seem pretty bullish that it’s been cleared by the FIA.
An apparently their car is dripping with innovations. Quite looking forward to seeing how the season shapes up.
According to Kravitz Merc started work on this car in December '18!
softest tyre lap from Bottas 1:15.732 (2/10ths off his pole lap last year)
softest tyre lap from Bottas 1:15.732 (2/10ths off his pole lap last year)
Looking in the F1.com live timing that’s on the medium and 1.3 quicker than the next fastest (Ocon) who was running the soft.
If that’s right then that’s mighty lap time and will have the others a bit worried I think.
I get the feeling, given this is the end of an era Merc have done what Williams did with the FW14 and 15 and thrown everything at making the ultimate car of its era. Pushed every rule to the limit and pushed the tech too. Their rear suspension is particularly interesting and perhaps the real innovation ahead of DAS.
That Bottas lap was on the Ultrasofts.
Crazy to see that in 5 years they have improved the lap time by at least 7 seconds:
barca poles
2019 bottas 1:15.406
2018 lewis 1:16.173
2017 lewis 1:19.149
2016 lewis 1:22.000
2015 Britney 1:24.681
F1 have the Bottas lap on the mediums
f1 tv are saying c5 (softest) for the bottas lap
According to Kravitz Merc started work on this car in December ’18!
I think Williams designed theirs in 2016. Glad they've finally got it running.
I wouldn't be suprised if the Merc steering trickery is there to distract from something else even tricker on their car. The rear suspension has already been noted, they could be running sometthing else, too.
The only people they’d trick would be members of the public
DAS – Dual-Axis Steering – the innovative system that changes the front wheel toe setting of the car invented by Mercedes will be outlawed in 2021.
Annnnd there goes Ferrari with Seb starting at the engine / gearbox.
they seem pretty bullish!
The middle third of that Merc is just bloody beautiful!
Vettel backwards in a cloud of his own smoke again this morning.
It just feels so satisfying to watch.
Vettel backwards in a cloud of his own smoke again this morning.
He's got to make sure he's comfortable with car in all expected conditions 😉
So Kubica isn't as hopeless as he looked last year.
showing us the Bottas bog :/