The arrival of new Formula 1 cars this season has coincided with the arrival of new wheels, now with a diameter of 18 inches compared to 13 previously. They are actually heavier and have a direct impact on the work of the mechanics in charge of changing them during a Grand Prix.
Andrew Shovlin, head of track operations at Mercedes F1, reveals his team has struggled to adapt to the change so far. the reason ? The many problems encountered on the W13 mean that the team had to choose priority sectors to work on.
« We favor consistency over speed. We’re not the fastest team on saves at the moment, and we haven’t been consistent lately either. One of the challenges we’ve faced was to adapt to these new regulations. Which means that assembling the car was the priority and then developing it. »
« Until a few races ago, the problems we had with the car meant that we weren’t doing pit stops anymore. So that’s an area we’re working on. Of course, that’s not what’s slowing us down. right now it’s the car, but it’s still a side project. But obviously the wheels are heavier now, they’re cumbersome and that’s what has slowed down all the teams a bit. »
