Formula One caravan has arrived at Marina Bay Street Circuit for this year’s Singapore Grand Prix. Ahead of the race weekend, many teams, including Mercedes, are mulling to introduce a fresh set of upgrades. The reason is the modification of Sector 3 of the circuit. The T16-T19 will be replaced with one long straight. Not only that, the new flexi-wing Technical Directive will also make its debut this week.
Mercedes have a lot of expectations from this race weekend. Earlier this week, Lewis Hamilton and the team’s chief engineer were quoted saying that the Marina Bay Street circuit will suit them the most. Hence, they expect a better results compared to that of Monza. Meanwhile, ahead of the practice session, the Silver Arrows officially released the details of their upgrades.
Mercedes Tweak Front Corner In The Latest Set Of Upgrades!
Mercedes are aiming to close out the gap to Red Bull’s by the end of the year itself. Last week, Lewis Hamilton claimed that he had a pace similar to Max Verstappen. But bad strategic decisions led to a disaster. Having said that, the team is looking forward to having positive results in Singapore. To further fuel the pursuit, the Silver Arrows have introduced a small upgrade. As per the report submitted to FIA, the Brackley-based team has tweaked their front corner in the latest track-specific upgrade. This year, the Marina Bay Circuit will have longer straights, which could lead to excessive heating. To curb that, Mercedes has decided to expand the cooling range.
Mercedes has introduced a large front brake duct inlet and exit. This allows more air mass to flow to the brakes, which will seemingly elevate the cooling capacity of the circuit. This will also help in putting a high duty on the car’s braking system. This is purely a circuit-based upgrade. Hence, it remains unknown if the Silver Arrows will continue with this in the future. Having said that, it’s a step in the right direction. The team is committed to optimizing this year’s results despite falling out of the championship race. The basic idea is to gain enough learning which will help the team regain dominance in 2024. Is that too bold of a dream? Or are Mercedes confident in their progress? Only time will tell.
Red Bull Taking Inspiration From Its Competitors?
On the flip side, Red Bull Racing, who are set to record an undefeated season this year, are apparently taking inspiration from their rivals who are seemingly lagging behind. Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, the drink-based team informed the FIA of the set of upgrades they were going to introduce. The team is revising the rear wing and floor of the RB19 by taking inspiration from their competitor’s progress.
The end of the flap element will be tweaked to offer more local load. Moreover, it is a performance-enhancing upgrade that will be carried forward further into the season. Having said that, these are just minor adjustments that are not expected to yield any significant results. This is because Red Bull has already closed the doors on progress this season as they reshift focus on 2024.