Mercedes confident wing issue can be solved for second F1 test day
Mercedes is confident that efforts taking place overnight at Jerez and its Brackley factory will allow it to resume Formula 1 testing on Wednesday morning following Lewis Hamilton's wing failure
The German car manufacturer had looked set for an encouraging opening day of pre-season testing on Tuesday before a broken front wing pitched Hamilton into the barriers.
The damage to the car forced Mercedes to finish its running early, and it launched an investigation into what happened.
Although the team has declined to elaborate on the exact area of the failure, executive director Paddy Lowe said work would proceed through the night find out why it had broken.
Even though there were no answers yet, Mercedes was hopeful that it could resume running at some point on Wednesday morning - even if new parts had to be flown out to Spain.
"We know where it failed and we are trying to understand exactly why the margin was not sufficient in that area," Lowe said.
"These are things we test extensively and model a lot of work in the laboratory, so it is a confusing situation for us.
"We are working hard this afternoon and through the night to come up with a solution for tomorrow.
"It is not a great way to go through our first day of testing, but we are working hard to recover.
"It is difficult to recover on day one when you don't have a lot of spare parts around us, but we intend to be out there tomorrow morning and we are working hard through the night to do that both here and in the UK."
Lowe said the wing failure had been especially hard to deal with because the early morning running had been so encouraging.
"It was going very well," he said. "We have the advantage of having been to Silverstone on Friday, so we were well placed to get out this morning right on time.
"There were a few issues which we hadn't expected, but in general it was going well.
"We were building up to longer runs and it was at that point that we had the failure.
"It was shaping up to be a very good day and as it was we still achieved a lot."
Previous article
Formula 1 testing 2014: Gary Anderson's day one verdict
Next article
First sights and sounds of F1 2014
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Teams | Mercedes |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
The clues Hamilton’s F1 contract afterthought gives to his future
The Formula 1 world reacted with surprise when it learned Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited new Mercedes deal guarantees his presence on the grid only until the end of 2021. Both parties claimed publicly they were happy with the arrangement but, asks MARK GALLAGHER, is there more to it than that?
How a harshly ejected Red Bull star has been hooked by racing again
Driver-turned-DJ Jaime Alguersuari lost his love for motorsport when he was booted out of Formula 1 just as he was starting to polish his rough edges. Having drifted from category to category then turned his back on racing altogether in 2015, he’s come full circle and is planning a return in karts for fun
Why Mercedes isn't confident it's really ahead of Red Bull at Imola
While Mercedes struck back against Red Bull by topping the times at Imola on Friday ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the overall picture remains incredibly close. Despite having a possible edge this weekend, the reigning Formula 1 world champion squad is not taking anything for granted...
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well-aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead on pace. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping
Why Tsunoda can become Japan’s greatest F1 talent
While Japan's fever for motor racing is well-documented, the country has yet to produce a Formula 1 superstar – but that could be about to change, says BEN EDWARDS
Why the demise of F1's hypocritical spending habit is cause for celebration
For too long, F1's richest teams have justified being able to spend as much as they want because that's the way they've always conducted their business. STUART CODLING says that's no reason not to kick a bad habit
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is not guaranteed
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
