It may seem dramatic to claim that Mercedes needs to fix its newest F1 competitor, especially since the W12 has won the only race it has started to date. But as Mercedes and Alex Kalinauckas show in our cover article, this year’s campaign will be different.
Mercedes has always had the upper hand over speed since the turbo hybrid was launched, but Max Verstappen was faster at the season opener in Bahrain. This is the first time since 2013 that Red Bull has launched a campaign that not only sets the pace, but also the pace.
As our article examines, it is not easy for Mercedes to simply move forward again thanks to the development restrictions and the new rules for 2022, for which the teams have to prepare under a cost ceiling. We outline what you have to do to beat Red Bull.
Mercedes also experienced a lot of drama in the Formula E double header in Rome. Matt Kew was there to watch Stoffel Vandoorne recover from a crash in race one to take a nice win in the second. He also explains how double champion Jean-Eric Vergne recovered from his own incident to win, and highlights Jaguar’s first double podium at an international motorsport event since 1991.
David Malsher-Lopez takes a look at the ongoing battle between Penske and Ganassi in our IndyCar Season Preview, as well as some other key storylines to keep an eye out for.
A much older rivalry is the theme of our historical play, in which we compare and contrast Grand Prix legends Tazio Nuvolari and Rudolf Caracciola, who were Alfa Romeo teammates before they went their separate ways.
It is also the first 2021 edition of our free national racing supplement. Ben Anderson drives McLaren’s 720S GT3 racing driver, Stefan Mackley talks to successful racing driver team boss Danny Winstanley and Stephen Lickorish explores how Super Lap Scotland is bringing new people to motorsport.
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The post What Mercedes needs to do to fix its W12 F1 car first appeared on monter-une-startup.
