The predictions made the day before were confirmed in Melbourne. Mercedes appears to have made a significant step forward compared to the competition, with rivals such as Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull estimating the gap to be closed at least half a second. A challenge that is anything but simple, even if it is true that, due to its current characteristics and strengths, the Australian track tends to amplify certain gaps.
An advantage that emerged even more clearly in qualifying, when the W17 edged out a good eight tenths of a second from the group formed by the other three top teams, curiously in turn within less than ten hundredths of a second. In the race the picture changed only partially: Ferrari was the only one able to keep up with the Silver Arrows, while McLaren remained further behind, held back by various problems.
The point is that the nature of this advantage does not arise from a single aspect, but involves multiple connected areas, capable of enhancing each other. And this is also why, despite sharing the same power unit as the Woking team, the margin remains quite large at the moment. Of course, it cannot be ignored that today the Stella engine seems to have a small step ahead of its rivals, but it represents only part of the story.
George Russell, Mercedes
Foto di: Dom Gibbons / Formula 1 via Getty Images
On the flying lap we saw how, with only seven MJ granted by the Federation to reduce the need to resort to too much lift and coast, not only the contribution of the combustion engine has become fundamental, but also the way in which the energy is used and recovered. This is the first big issue, because on this front Mercedes seems to enjoy an advantage over the competition for now, especially on fast tracks, with little braking and when little energy is given.
When the time came to raise the throttle to show the true qualities of this power unit, the W17 started to fly, especially on the straights, leaving its rivals clearly behind. In the areas where the most evident deratings were recorded on Friday, on Saturday the drop in speed was much more contained and linear, without the need to resort to excessive lift and coast or to sacrifice other parts of the lap.
This suggests not only that Mercedes has interpreted energy management impeccably on such a critical track, but also that the combustion engine, especially when it reaches certain peaks, is able to provide significant support, reducing stress on the MGU-K in the most delicate areas, letting the MGU-K go into support to reduce turbo lag, especially for those who have focused on efficiency like Mercedes.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Foto di: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
On a fast track, the combination of these factors created the perfect storm and it should not be forgotten that Stella has been working on this PU for years developing models, creating a broader body of customer knowledge. On this front, there is an interesting element: to recharge, the W17 does not rely so much on lift and coast, but rather on super-clipping with the wing open, thus arriving at braking quicker. This becomes an important issue for two reasons which enhance another quality of this machine.
As the current regulations are written, the FIA allows you to recover up to 350 kW during braking or in phases in which the accelerator is not completely open, such as in medium-low speed curves or during lift-and-coast at the end of the straights. On the contrary, for safety reasons, the charging limit via super-clipping is set at 250 kW.
A difference that is anything but marginal, which pushes teams to carefully evaluate what and where could prove most advantageous from an energy management point of view. If, for example, Ferrari seems to rely more heavily on lift-and-coast to recover energy, Stella instead focuses decisively on super-clipping as the main charging option, especially on the flying lap.
Russell – Leclerc Q Australia telemetry comparison
Photo by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
Having said the differences, we must also understand how they influence. Lift-and-coast allows you to reach higher charging limits, but it is equally logical that it takes time to reach the value of –350 kW for safety reasons. This also implies a different way of driving the car: doing a lot of lift-and-coast means in fact arriving at the braking point with a lower speed, then touching the brakes less during the journey.
Now, beyond the qualities of the SF‑26’s chassis, this is one of the reasons why the Ferrari has consistently been among the fastest in terms of speed through chicane 6/7. Where the Mercedes was still in the braking phase, because it tends to carry the braking well into the curve, the Red car was instead already close to the acceleration phase, thus being able to maintain a higher speed.
The W17 thinks the opposite. The tendency is to resort to super-clipping more often and to lengthen the braking phase by bringing the braking into the corner, similar to what happened last year. It is a very different approach, and to be able to sustain it while still maintaining good speeds, because it is clear that the risk is that of incurring understeer, an effective chassis and good balance are needed.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Foto di: Mark Horsburgh / LAT Images via Getty Images
A theme also highlighted by Andrea Stella, McLaren TP, who highlighted both the gap on the use of the hybrid (also due to different management of the gearbox and different usage philosophies which we will return to), and how the MCL40 lacks pure aerodynamic load, underlining how the W17 is much stronger than it may appear when cornering.
These elements, put together, ended up mutually enhancing the strengths of Mercedes on one of the tracks that will probably highlight the pure qualities of the W17 the most. Shanghai, for example, will represent a different challenge: the Chinese track has a long straight, but also fast corners and numerous opportunities to recharge the battery, so much so that it is not among the most energy-intensive circuits of the year.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
– The Motorsport.com team
