Formula One 2023 season is set to resume with Dutch Grand Prix after weeks-long summer break. Mercedes, who held second place in the constructors championship, will be looking to solidify their position further. Throughout the break, the engineers have been working hard to bring in a set of upgrades that will be introduced in the Dutch GP, as confirmed by Lewis Hamilton.
Aston Martin, on the other hand, trails by 51 points to Mercedes in the constructors championship. After starting the season on a high, the Silverstone-based team failed to keep up as they experienced losses in performance. Also, Fernando Alonso is having a lone battle as Lance Stroll has been inconsistent. In a fight to chase down the Silver Arrows, Aston Martin will also bring in new upgrades.
Mercedes Tweaks Floor, Beam Wing In Latest Upgrade Package
In a desperate attempt to close down the gap to rivals Red Bull, Mercedes will resume the second half of the season with a new set of upgrades. Lewis Hamilton earlier confirmed that the team is coming out with minor upgrades for the race weekend. Meanwhile, as per the report submitted to FIA, the Silver Arrows have modified the floor edge of the car. Moreover, the forward floor edge wing is redesigned to improve flow to the rear and increase rear downforce. Apart from this, the sidepod mirror stay is also moved to improve the airflow to the rear and also increase rear wing load.
The beam wing of the W14 is restructured for the same reason as mentioned above. Overall, Mercedes has heavily focused on increasing the downforce, which in turn will fuel better performance. Ever since the early setback, the Silver Arrows have tried to redesign the side pods and the floor in order to match Red Bull. The word around the paddock is that Red Bulls are generating a lot of performance from the floor. Hence, the Brackley-based team wants to emulate the same. Having said that, Mercedes’ problem goes way deeper as the car is conceptually flawed. Regardless, the new upgrades should work as they seem perfect on paper. If not much, the Silver Arrows should at least gain a few tenths of a second performance.
Aston Martin Revises Floor Diffuser For Dutch Grand Prix
Meanwhile, Aston Martin is looking to bounce back after losing a lot of performance prior to the summer break. They began the year on a high but seemed lost in the middle as Mercedes reclaimed their second spot in the constructors’ championship. Meanwhile, ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, the Silverstone-based team is one among the many with fresh upgrades. Aston Martin has focused on the floor as they revised its lower surface to generate downforce.
The work done with the floor edge will work together with the new diffuser. The upper corner of the diffuser is tweaked along with the addition of a small winglet. This revision will improve the efficiency of the floor’s lower surface. Aston Martin needs to execute these upgrades to perfection in order to close the gap to Mercedes. Currently, the Silver Arrows seem way ahead.
