The issues Mercedes hopes it has solved with its W15 F1 car
Mercedes endured a first winless Formula 1 campaign since 2011 last term and the team has worked tirelessly to fix the issues that hampered Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. With the former entering his last year with the team, could the W15 be a winning final gift to the seven-time champion?
Jake Boxall-Legge
Edited:
Mercedes had lived under something of a cloud over the past couple of seasons, but early indications in the simulator have suggested that its W15 Formula 1 car could bring something of a silver lining. Quite literally too, as its new livery bears a return to Mercedes' trademark silver that blends with the black and silver scheme used last season, with hints of INEOS-flavoured red present on the visual palate.
If Mercedes had invested in a new trophy cabinet after its dominant streak, the last two years have added little to it; its investment in a radical design philosophy had not paid off, and it lost faith in the zero-pod solution early in 2023. Architectural restrictions meant that last year's W14 was almost a halfway house between that and the more conventional sidepod-floor package that emerged in Monaco, hence the Brackley team's decision to go in a new direction for 2024 with the sometimes-painful lessons that it had to endure.
To learn to win again, it had to learn why it hadn't done so of late.
In developing its W15, there were stand-out areas that Mercedes wished to work on to imbue its drivers with more confidence behind the wheel: the unpredictable rear-end being the main area of contention on last year's car.
"A big focus has been on improving the previous car's unpredictable rear axle," explained technical director James Allison. "We have worked hard to ensure that both axles, but particularly the rear axle, retain better control of the tyre than on the W14. There's also been some housekeeping on areas in which we had room for improvement, including the DRS effect, and pit stop performance."
Visually, the W15 is a very different contender. At the front, the pointy nose has been replaced with a flatter, wider solution that - if nothing else - appears to be a much more elegant solution. This blends into a front wing that appears to bear much in the way of complexity, with a series of curves and shapes that at least suggest that much in the way of development has emerged here.
Like many other designs seen in launch season so far, the shorter nose frees up the central section for a spoon-shaped treatment which can assist with both local downforce production and assisting the airflow underneath the nose. As is now standard, the wing sweeps downwards at the endplates to develop the outwashing effect desired by the aerodynamicists.
The nose section on the W15 appears a more elegant solution
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
The front suspension has also received attention, retaining a push-rod layout but with each member redefined and repositioned to improve the front-end grip on offer. The front leg of the upper wishbone is positioned closely to the push-rod at their chassis mounting points, appearing to place airflow downwards and remove the need for the blister present in this area on the W14. The rear leg of that wishbone is positioned low down, another recent trend owing to its positive effect on the car's anti-dive properties which benefits the floor performance.
It appears that, from the most rudimentary of checks, the cockpit is positioned slightly further back - an area that should placate the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton, who disliked the apparent feeling of driving the W15's predecessor on its wheels. But the bigger change flanks this, as Mercedes has pressed on with its decision to defect to the downwashing sidepods club.
The leading edge of the inlet, like others, has been extruded into a protruding lip; however, there's a difference here compared to the prevailing trends. Mercedes has placed the leading edge lower down, which curves upwards into the inlet to capture airflow from perhaps lower down. This develops into a heavier undercut around the underside of the sidepods, which exposes much more of the upper floor surface.
"If we can continue to widen the operating window of the car, that will provide confidence for us as drivers and from there, lap time is easier to find" George Russell
Although the upper surface has a slight channel, this is not as defined as the Aston Martin-style 'waterslide' and instead chooses to focus on managing the placement of airflow to the top surface of the diffuser. This develops into a tighter rear end that also houses the push-rod rear suspension springs and rockers, a design decision hinted at by Monday's AMR24 launch; the two teams have common rear suspension components.
Above this, the cannon-like flaring in the bodywork to produce a cooling aperture does not retain the same channelled treatment as the W14, although the bodywork seams suggest that this could be interchangeable depending upon the heat rejection required by each circuit.
Further trends emerge in the rear wing design, with the exposed tips on the upper element, but Mercedes has drawn the front corners forward to blend in the attachment points. The top corners of this upper flap square off, defining the placement of the generated vortices here.
In the development of last year's car, Mercedes started to get a handle on what was required from the 2022-spec regulations. Improvements had been made, although the tightness of the battle for 'best of the rest' behind Red Bull demonstrated that these were not improvements that translated to every circuit on the calendar. On some occasions, Mercedes was very clearly second best; the floor upgrade it brought to Austin ensured that Hamilton was able to put Max Verstappen under greater scrutiny in Austin, but it was way off the mark in Brazil as the car strayed outside of its comfort zone.
Sidepod changes have exposed more of the floor than the W14
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
"We made progress with some of the nastier characteristics of the W14 throughout last year," explained George Russell. "But we still had a narrow operating window and, once we were outside of that, the car was difficult to drive. If we can continue to widen the operating window of the car, that will provide confidence for us as drivers and from there, lap time is easier to find."
Earlier in the year, team principal Toto Wolff revealed his drivers' thoughts on the new car in the simulator, stating that they were far more content with the new machinery after two years of having to coax an unpredictable car around the circuit. Although more amenable handling qualities are desirable, this does not quite reveal the performance points of a new car. That'll have to wait until the season begins in earnest.
After time dealing with false optimism, Wolff has been more cautious in his assessment of the new car. Mercedes' desire to beat Red Bull remains strong, but he is aware that overcoming the team's disadvantage to the championship winners will take more than simple belief.
"We know we have a mountain to climb to fight at the very front. There are no miracles in this sport," he said. "But our ambition and determination are strong. Since charting this new course, development has progressed well. We had several items on our priority list for this car. We will soon see if we've made the step we've aimed for.
"We hope to have solved some of the inherent problems and we will get our first indications of the progress we’ve made during pre-season testing. From there, we will understand more about the challenge that is ahead of us. There are no crystal balls in this sport. But we will at least know the gap we are aiming to close down. Our ambition is strong and we’re ready to get going."
If Mercedes can reclaim its race-winning form and begin to push Red Bull once again, a tantalising season beckons. But Ferrari, Aston Martin, and McLaren will also be knocking on the door - so it has to ensure that, when the development curve starts to bear fruit, the W15 needs to be something special.
A fine farewell to Hamilton, or another one to join the W13 and W14 in a dusty corner?
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
Ferrari is down on power "even to Ford", says Leclerc
Formula 1
Canadian GP
Ferrari is down on power "even to Ford", says Leclerc
Hamilton "still motivated" and "100% clear" he will stay at Ferrari in 2027
Formula 1
Canadian GP
Hamilton "still motivated" and "100% clear" he will stay at Ferrari in 2027
Where you can find the best battles of F1 2026
Formula 1
Where you can find the best battles of F1 2026
The F1 power unit formula solution that could suit all parties
Formula 1
The F1 power unit formula solution that could suit all parties
How Formula 1 driving has changed – and stayed the same
Formula 1
How Formula 1 driving has changed – and stayed the same
How Williams aims to reach "a sensible position" in F1 2026 after double-score Miami
Formula 1
How Williams aims to reach "a sensible position" in F1 2026 after double-score Miami
Why Haas fears loss of ground to Alpine in F1's upper-midfield battle
Formula 1
Why Haas fears loss of ground to Alpine in F1's upper-midfield battle
How F1's planned 60-40 power split for 2027 will affect each manufacturer
Formula 1
How F1's planned 60-40 power split for 2027 will affect each manufacturer
LIVE: F1 Canadian Grand Prix updates - Russell takes sprint pole ahead of Antonelli
Formula 1
Canadian GP
LIVE: F1 Canadian Grand Prix updates - Russell takes sprint pole ahead of Antonelli
Red Bull F1 team boss: "No intention behind" public meeting between Verstappen and Wolff
Formula 1
Canadian GP
Red Bull F1 team boss: "No intention behind" public meeting between Verstappen and Wolff
F1 compromise to make 2027 engine change could include shortening races
Formula 1
Canadian GP
F1 compromise to make 2027 engine change could include shortening races
Mercedes and McLaren debut host of updates at F1 Canadian GP
Formula 1
Canadian GP
Mercedes and McLaren debut host of updates at F1 Canadian GP
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.
Subscribe now
Already subscribed? Sign in here
Top Comments