Mercedes had a pretty unfortunate Sunday in Mexico. However, nobody was as bad as Valtteri Bottas. From pole to P17, followed by two slow stops and a race dominated by the view of McLaren’s rear wing; all to cross the line in P15. As much as the fans feared that the 11-second pit stop would be a repeat of Monaco, in reality the Mercedes pit crew put a lot of effort into it.
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Although Mercedes isn’t sure what caused it, the wheel got stuck on its axle. Therefore, the shooter screwed the tires back on the front left tire and repeated the process. This is the standard procedure according to James Vowles, who also revealed the amazing dedication of the pit crew.
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To get their rider back on track, the shooter removed the wheel himself when all else failed. “The shooter stuck his hand into the wheel and effectively detached it from the axle, getting burned easily in the process.” James added, “It was a brave move on his part.”
The pit crew in Formula 1 is really built differently, because the machine parts of the W12 would undoubtedly have been red hot. However, given the competition ahead, it was an admirable move by the pit crew.
Mercedes took positive things from the weekend
Although Mexico wasn’t exactly a highlight for Mercedes, Vowles reveals that a few things were noticed in the adversity. First, the fragility of mastery. Although Red Bull is now one point behind the Silver Arrows, Mercedes is confident in itself and the four laps ahead.
Formula 1 F1 – Mexico City Grand Prix – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – November 7, 2021 Valtteri Bottas from Mercedes in action during the REUTERS / Edgard Garrido race
“This championship, and believe us, we were sufficiently ahead, with a point gap it is never over until it is over. A DNF for us or Red Bull would completely change the formation of this championship at the end of the season, and ultimately the point gap is tiny. “
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Vowles also calls Mercedes’ pace on a Red Bull track positive. “We overtook Red Bull on a track where they were stronger … in the last few races, even on tracks that may not suit us very well; we can be there or nearby. “
The other positive, according to the strategist, is that the team is now intrinsically stronger than ever. “Despite this punishing triple header, we’re drawing closer than I’ve ever seen before … It’s a welded team, a team that is here to achieve one goal, which is to win both championships.”
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While Mercedes is analyzing their bittersweet Mexican GP, he’s looking at the race in Interlagos, another Red Bull stronghold.
Check out this story: Ranking of the best Special Edition liveries from Red Bull F1
The post Mercedes F1 director reveals terrible injury to a pit crew member during Bottas’ stop in Mexico first appeared on monter-une-startup.
