There’s just over 4 weeks until the F1 2019 season kicks off in Melbourne. That means it’s time to take off the covers and show the world the cars that’ll be on the grid and the latest to do that is Mercedes.
The Mercedes-AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ has today completed it’s first run, 100 km was completed around Silverstone during a filming day, which the team also uses as a final systems check before the first pre-season test in Barcelona.
The car this year is forced to have a simplified front wing to reduce aero wash and increase passing opportunities. The controversial halo also looks much better integrated into the car’s design, rather than the bolt-on look we seen from many manufacturers in 2018.
The new W10 responds to the new technical changes in regulations from the sport’s governing body, the FIA.
“The 2019 season will be a new challenge for all of us. The regulations have changed quite substantially. We have to start from scratch, we need to prove ourselves again – against our own expectations and against our competitors. We start the season with zero points, so we’re taking nothing for granted and there’s absolutely no feeling of entitlement to be at the front. In fact, with the regulation change for the new season, every team can have a shot at the title and we’re seeing all of them as a potential threat.”
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO.
“Regulation changes are both opportunity and threat. They are an opportunity because all the old assumptions about what you need to have to be quick are swept away and, if you are fleet of foot and smart in dealing with that, you can do better than all the other teams that are tackling the same change.
They are a threat because if you are not as smart and you didn’t see how to make the most of these new regulations, then you’ll certainly suffer in the coming season. But they are always exhilarating because you have that sharp sense of anxiety that you might not be doing enough but equally the thrill and excitement of looking forward to finding out.”
Technical Director James Allison.
One of Mercedes biggest assets over the recent years has been their powertrain. In 2019, they’re using an all-new power unit, the Mercedes-AMG F1 M10 EQ Power+.
“We’ve made changes to the cooling architecture of the Power Unit, which hopefully provide aerodynamic benefit on the car and also provide efficiency benefit on the Power Unit – so, hopefully a win on both the chassis and on the Power Unit.
Right at the heart of the Power Unit is the conversion of fuel into heat release in the combustion chamber and useful work out of the crankshaft. We have made steps on the combustion efficiency and on the ERS system. The marriage between the turbocharger assembly with the MGU-H, the inverter, the cells and the MGU-K: that whole system is now capable of operating more efficiently and helping with energy deployment through a race.”
Andy Cowell, Managing Director of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains.
