Since the German automobile manufacturer has not won since the Spanish Grand Prix in May, it is keeping its fingers crossed that the developments will bring it a much-needed leap in performance.
Because while main rival Red Bull has launched an aggressive aero upgrade program from race to race, Mercedes has been more conservative with its changes.
So far, it had only made small adjustments to the bottom and diffuser as part of a fixes, with a larger update package apparently always being their preferred route rather than oozing through minor tweaks.
The team had spoken openly about a possible final development arriving at Silverstone, with the new designs spotted in the pit lane ahead of the British GP.
Instead of being visually dramatic, the changes are more nuanced – but could still play a role in better airflow control.
For a more harmonious interaction, the bargeboards and sidepod deflectors were cleaned, with the boomerang winglet now divided into several layers.
The lower one is followed by the louvre-like deflector arrangement, which was itself modified, in which the skyscraper deflector is cut off at the front and the slats extended to the front.
The two “R” -shaped vanes at the base of the sidepod deflector array are joined by a third, longer vane that sits under the skyscraper’s main deflector.
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In line with these changes, the design team has also optimized the area behind it, as four outwardly angled fins are now mounted between the bottom edge and the sidepod.
In addition, the “wavy” bottom edge was reduced to a single bend and the flap behind it was converted into a two-part arrangement.
Mercedes drivers both welcomed Mercedes’ efforts to improve its W12, but didn’t expect too much for a dramatic change in fortune.
Lewis Hamilton said: “There have been a lot of changes to the car but it’s not a massive update in terms of the gap.” [to Red Bull] that we’ve seen in the races, but it definitely helps us to fill that gap quickly. “
When asked what lap time gain the team is hoping for from the changes, Valtteri Bottas said: “I can’t give a direct number. It’s nothing big, it’s nothing small. But we’ll see, on Friday of course, when we find out how fast the cars are on a single lap. “
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