Hill Concerned 'Mercedes' Dominance Really Was Down To Their Power Unit'
F1Friday, 10 November 2023 at 21:00
F1 World Champion Damon Hill commented on the Mercedes team's struggles concerning the development of a Championship-contending car.
Mercedes team dominated Formula One for seven seasons straight in the years 2014-2020. Silver Arrows are one of the few teams on the grid producing their own engines, which has been a great competitive advantage.
Some say that the Mercedes power unit was and still is the strongest one on the grid. However, Damon Hill's concern is how much of the team's success can be attributed to the power unit. He said on Sky Sports F1 Podcast:
"My anxiety is this, which is that for a long time, Mercedes' dominance really was down to their power unit. They had the best power unit for a very long time, and the aerodynamics were always slightly different to Red Bull's,"
If the majority of the success could be attributed to the power unit, it means Mercedes might be in trouble now when the aerodynamics matter a lot more.
"If you remember, towards the end of the previous Formula 1 regulations, they persisted with their relatively flat-looking rake on the car, whereas Red Bull was absolutely huge."
A team that has demonstrated great understanding and use of aerodynamics is Mercedes's main competitor, Red Bull. Hill observed:
"They led the way and everyone started following Red Bull with this very high rake. It looked like a rat running along the car. It had a very high back."
When the new regulations came in 2022, Mercedes tried to pursue a different concept than anybody else, but it turned out to be a dead-end.
On the other hand, Red Bull, with Adrian Newey, built an amazing car that got copied by almost everybody else throughout 2022 and 2023. Hill added:
"What I'm saying is, is the Mercedes aero department missing a trick here? They've lost quite a few good aero people to other teams as well, over time."
After the "worst weekend in 13 years" in Sao Paulo, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said the team plans to completely change the car for the next season.
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