“It’s great” - Mercedes’ front suspension trick scrutinised ahead of Bahrain GP
Various technical innovations on the Mercedes W15 F1 car have caught plenty of attention in the early weeks of 2024.
Sky Sports F1 technical analyst Ted Kravitz is impressed by the work Mercedes have done with their front suspension and adjustable wishbone on the W15.
Mercedes have adopted an entirely new car concept for 2024 with their W15 car as they look to return to winning ways.
The team have made significant architecture changes to where various components are housed, while the cockpit position has also changed to appease Lewis Hamilton.
It seems Mercedes have already pushed the boundaries already in terms of new design innovations.
Their front wing has attracted significant attention because of how it uses a carbon fibre wire to connect the nose by the second and fourth lap - something that has been questioned by other teams and whether it is legal.
Similarly with their front suspension design and the wishbone being adjustable.
It should allow Mercedes to better optimise their car setup at a given weekend depending on the track characteristics.
Answering questions as part of a Q&A on Sky Sports F1's website, Kravitz hailed Mercedes for their latest innovation, while explaining how it could give them an advantage.
“It's great,” he wrote. “A relatively quick change from what seems to be a regular amount of anti-dive to a massive amount of anti-dive, is a useful thing to have.
“But I'd be absolutely astonished if they changed it in the middle of a race weekend.
“I think it's the kind of thing where they know the circuit they're going to, let's say one where cars struggle to protect their front tyres such as Hungary or Abu Dhabi, they'd know where they'd want that particular suspension geometry and they'd bring the car with it already fitted.
“But it's nice to know that they can change it quite quickly.”
Mercedes look to have made a step forward with this year's challenger following three days of running in Bahrain for pre-season testing.
Both drivers have been impressed with the feeling of the W15, but it remains to be seen whether it can challenge the Red Bull RB20 for regular race victories in 2024.
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