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Magazine: What Mercedes must do to fix its W12 F1 car

The challenges Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton face to hold on to their Formula 1 crowns come under the spotlight in this week’s Autosport magazine, out today (15 April).

mag150421

mag150421

It might seem dramatic to claim that Mercedes needs to fix its latest F1 contender, particularly as the W12 won the one race it has started so far. But, as Mercedes and Alex Kalinauckas show in our cover article, this year’s campaign will be different.

Mercedes has invariably had the upper hand on raw speed since the start of the turbo-hybrid, but Max Verstappen was faster in the Bahrain season-opener. This is the first time since 2013 that Red Bull has started a campaign not only on the pace but setting it.

As our piece explores, thanks to the restrictions on development – plus the new rules for 2022 that teams have to prepare for under a cost cap – Mercedes won’t find it easy to simply develop itself back to the front. We outline what they have to do to defeat Red Bull.

Mercedes also experienced a lot of drama in the Formula E double-header in Rome. Matt Kew was there to see Stoffel Vandoorne recover from a crash in race one to take a fine victory in the second encounter. He also explains how double champion Jean-Eric Vergne bounced back from his own incident to win, and highlights Jaguar’s first double-podium in an international motorsport event since 1991.

David Malsher-Lopez looks ahead to the continuing Penske-Ganassi battle in our IndyCar season preview, as well as picking out some other key storylines to keep an eye on.

A much older rivalry is the subject of our historical piece, in which we compare and contrast grand prix legends Tazio Nuvolari and Rudolf Caracciola, who were Alfa Romeo team-mates before going their separate ways.

It’s also the first 2021 edition of our free National racing supplement. Ben Anderson drives McLaren’s 720S GT3 racer, Stefan Mackley speaks to successful racer-turned-team boss Danny Winstanley, and Stephen Lickorish looks at how Super Lap Scotland is bringing new people into motorsport.

Want Autosport magazine delivered to your door each week? Subscribe today and never miss your weekly fix of motorsport: www.autosportmedia.com/offer/article

 

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