Mercedes' cooling "Achilles' heel" explained
Mercedes suffered its first defeat of the 2019 season in Austria last weekend, which it put down to poor performance in the sweltering heat. Our technical experts explain how high temperatures can thwart even the strongest Formula 1 squads
Mercedes was unable to fight for victory in the Austrian Grand Prix because of cooling limitations, which were the results of the compromises implicit in designing modern Formula 1 cars.
Beyond the regulations themselves, cooling has a significant impact on the aerodynamic package, so designs are not only defined by maximising the airflow to radiators.
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