The Formula One convoy has reached Belgium for yet another exciting showdown. Thus, the teams are ready to move forward with their best configuration. The competition is heating up with each race as the battle for the World Title becomes a four-way contest. The Spa-Francorchamps is among the longest tracks, with sector 1,3 being full throttle and sector 2 with high/medium speed corners.
Moreover, the weather forecast predicts it to be freezing, as the temperature would be 74 Fahrenheit. Thus, the colder conditions would make the Mercedes more effective. At the same time, lower-drag cars like Haas, Red Bull, and Ferrari could get the upper hand on the corners. Amid all the speculations, all the teams have released the upgrade car representation documents. While most teams have opted for a minimalist approach, the German Marqu has gone full throttle for the Belgian GP.
Mercedes Equips New Floor To Leverage The ‘Low Drag’ On Spa-Francorchamps
The Silver Arrows have found the right configuration after almost two years. During the slump, the technical crew consistently tried every modification to counter the aerodynamic woes. However, they were far from designing a fast, flawless F1 car. Despite the constant failures, the crew led by James Allison kept pushing hard. As a result, they have finally cracked the code of ground effect, as the W15 now appears quicker than ever. After consecutive podiums and two victories, the team is ready to extend its winning tally. Thus, they have introduced a major upgrade package ahead of the Belgian GP. With five critical component updates, the floor change remains at the heart of this development. Moreover, the team has made a subtle change to the diffuser roof to increase the rera camber, increasing local downforce and drag.
Further, the single-element beam wing would counter the increased drag, perfect for a low-drag track like Spa. In addition, the W15 will use a small chord front wing flap to improve the overall balance on a low-drag circuit. Besides, the team has removed the flap element from Halo fairing, which is another way to reduce the drag. Regarding the floor edge, the team has added a different flap element to the forward section. It is to increase th forward load, as it drops the local rear pressure.
Andrew Shovlin from Mercedes explained that the main goal of their latest upgrades is to increase downforce. The team is not seeking any significant changes in characteristics but is focused on enhancing aerodynamic performance. During development, there is an inherent unpredictability regarding the exact results, as they cannot fully control every aspect of the upgrades, such as ride heights and speed ranges. Shovlin expressed hope that these new components will perform well at Spa-Francorchamps and provide a valuable step forward for the team.
Other Teams Make Minimal Changes For One Of The Longest Tracks
Apart from Mercedes, all the teams will use a slightly tweaked configuration. Ferrari has made changes in front and rear wings for low downforce. Similarly, McLaren will also use different front and rear wings, beam wings, and rera brake ducts.
Further, RB, Sauber, and Haas also made circuit-specific changes to counter the low-drag areas. Further, the track allows an excellent chance for overtaking. Thus, it’ll be an exciting race. Three teams, including Red Bull, did not share their presentation document.