Mercedes Formula 1 team brings new rear wheel design for Belgian GP
Mercedes has introduced an aggressive update to its rear wheel design at Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix as it attempts to find an advantage over Ferrari
The latest advance from Mercedes are aimed at both aerodynamic improvements and to help better manage the temperature of the brakes and tyres.
Tyre temperatures are a key element of performance in modern F1 and teams have continually experimented with ridges on their rims.
As last year's Red Bull RB13 shows below, it has run a ribbed surface on the outside of its rims for some time.
The main function of this design is to act as a heat sink, with cooling potential heavily linked to the amount of surface area on the car.
Mercedes has run the ridged heat sinks on the inside of its wheel rims for a while, but its upgrade in Belgium has also introduced an aggressive set of ridges around the outside area too.
The rotation of these ridges helps to draw airflow through the wheel and move hot air away from the brakes and the surrounding area of the car.
The upgrade should help Mercedes with the management of its rear tyre temperatures, which has been a critical area of performance for it in 2018.
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