Giorgio Piola's F1 technical analysis
Mercedes reveals final 2022 F1 car updates ahead of US Grand Prix
Mercedes has revealed the final updates for its 2022 Formula 1 car ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix as it bids to end its winless season.
Mercedes confirmed heading to Austin that it would be bringing the final updates of the year for the W13 car to the Circuit of The Americas this weekend.
The glimpse details of the update package emerged on Thursday, when a revised front wing design for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s cars was spotted in the pit lane. This included a revised design in the outboard section, as well as some new flow diverters between the upper flaps.
But the full details of the update package have now been confirmed after the FIA issued its technical document ahead of Friday’s first practice session at the Circuit of The Americas.
Mercedes’ submission to the FIA confirmed the updated front wing design was intended to aid “flow conditions” by reducing the camber of the front wing tip and adding the slot gap separators.
According to Mercedes, this “reduces wing tip loading, improving onset flow to the front drum deflector, which in turn improves tyre squirt management and flow to the rear of the car.”
“The slot gap separators improve the rigidity of final two front wing elements,” the team added.
Mercedes W13 floor detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
But the front wing is not the only new part that will be on the Mercedes W13 car this weekend. The rear wing has also been updated to feature a new endplate design to increase the load on the upper part of the rear wing.
Finally, Mercedes will also be running an updated floor in Austin this weekend, making changes to the floor fences and the floor edge.
The small change to the floor fence camber is intended to improve flow conditioning, increasing the aerodynamic load on the diffuser while maintaining the load from the front of the floor. The new floor edge wing will also add aerodynamic load without impacting the diffuser load.
Mercedes is one of only three teams to bring any updates to Austin, the others being Alpine and Alfa Romeo.
Alpine A522 floor detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Alpine will look to boost its performance in the fight with McLaren for P4 in the constructors’ championship with an updated floor, adding a winglet underneath the floor edge. This will be the team’s final floor update of the season.
Alfa Romeo has also opted for a floor update, changing the geometry of the forward part of the floor as well as changing the side cutouts in a bid to increase downforce and provide more stability to drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
Gasly "reckless" but FIA also shoulders blame: the Suzuka F1 report's key findings
Live: F1 United States GP commentary and updates - FP1 & FP2
Why WTR Acura lacked pace to beat MSR in Daytona 24 showdown
Filipe Albuquerque admits that he knew it would be a tall order for Wayne Taylor Racing to overcome sister Acura squad Meyer Shank Racing in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
After much anticipation, the new dawn for sportscar racing got underway with a result that mirrored last year's IMSA SportsCar Championship's season-opener run to the previous DPi rules. Here's how Acura once again took top honours in the Daytona 24 Hours with a 1-2 led by Meyer Shank Racing, as the new GTP class for LMDh hybrid prototypes made its bow
Alonso's pushy trait a boost for me in 2023 F1 season, says Stroll
Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll says Fernando Alonso's pushy nature will be a boost to both him and the squad this year.
Porsche aims to “learn quick” from Daytona 24 Hours disappointment
Porsche’s director of factory racing Urs Kuratle says his team will gain valuable answers from its disappointing results in the Daytona 24 Hours.
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.