Mercedes rewarded for Formula 1 engine upgrade delay
The delay to Mercedes' upgraded 'phrase 2.1' Formula 1 engine became a blessing in disguise and gave the team more time to find performance, boss Toto Wolff now believes
The upgrade was scheduled to be introduced under the phase 2 name across all six Mercedes-powered cars at the Canadian Grand Prix a fortnight ago, but it was postponed after last minute problems in dyno testing.
Instead all six drivers had to use their first 2018 engines for a seventh and last consecutive race, instead of saving them for the originally planned final outing at the less power sensitive Hungaroring.
After some revisions and further dyno testing the new engine is now known as a phase 2.1, and Wolff says the final version - which arrived for this weekend's French GP - has better performance than it would have done in Canada.
"We were due to have the engine for Montreal," he said when asked about the engine situation by Autosport. "Everything ran as predicted, and engines were shipped.
"Then on one of the last long runs we saw some oddities, irregularities, that didn't give us 100% confidence to run the engine in Montreal. So we decided to stay with phase 1.
"And eventually these couple of days more not only compensated for what we have as a package, but we have consolidated the performance we expected, and added a bit more.
"I believe generally in karma, and everything happens for a reason. Write that on your website and everyone will think I've lost the plot!
"But maybe we needed just a little bit more time to consolidate the gains and be confident on what we had in order to extract the maximum performance."
Mercedes had been reticent about its France engine specification until after Friday practice, which Wolff admitted was a result of the Canada delay.
"Why we were a bit restrictive about speaking about on Friday was we had this situation in Montreal," he explained.
"We didn't want to say we had the new engines and then we didn't have them in for the race weekend."
Mercedes had been outpaced by Ferrari in Canada, but swept the French GP front row with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
"I think that we have made progress in the last weeks to better understand our weaknesses, and also understand where we were strong," said Wolff.
"You've seen that on Friday, and we have been able to maintain the gaps to Saturday.
"I see a positive performance trend within the Mercedes F1 team."
Previous article
Charles Leclerc shocked by Sauber's French Grand Prix Q3 'miracle'
Next article
F1 chief Ross Brawn promises action over French Grand Prix traffic
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Teams | Mercedes |
| Author | Adam Cooper |
The back-bedroom world-beater that began a new F1 era
The first in a line of world beaters was designed in a back bedroom and then constructed in a shed. STUART CODLING recalls the Tyrrell 001
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
