Cooling or secret chassis revision? Secret behind the change to the Mercedes nose

Lewis Hamilton’s victory at the British Formula 1 Grand Prix was proof that Mercedes is finally back in the game.

While George Russell’s triumph in Austria was mainly due to the accidents of the leaders, Hamilton’s victory in Silverstone was based on his pure speed – and one could even argue that the W15 was the fastest car.

Mercedes has made huge strides this year, making its car significantly more capable, and this is because the company has finally understood what it takes to make a current ground-effect machine fast.

Team boss Toto Wolff said: “It clicked. Suddenly everything that didn’t make sense made sense. And the direction of development is the result of the development directions of the past. We find performance, we put it into the car and that is reflected in lap times. That hasn’t been the case in the last two years.”

But the biggest breakthrough for Mercedes was not suddenly bringing a new aero component onto the market that provided significantly more downforce.

Rather, according to Wolff, it was the way in which the team, under Technical Director James Allison, managed to use its performance package to create an excellent vehicle balance – which put both Hamilton and Russell in a good starting position.

Wolff added: “There was a moment when the data suddenly made sense under James’ leadership. The way we did it, the way we balanced the car and how we were able to get it into a better sweet spot – that was the main thing. It wasn’t a miracle front wing. It was more the balance that we achieved.”

This connection to balance is interesting because it can often be the result of advances beneath the surface in mechanical aspects such as suspension and springs.

And whether it’s a simple coincidence or there’s more to it, a change to a panel on the nose of the W15, which made its debut at the Austrian Grand Prix, may have hinted at a possible change to the dampers that could have contributed to its progress.

Mercedes W15 technical details

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The vanity top (pictured above) features a new bulge that the team says is purely for cooling, designed to increase the flow of cool air into the cockpit, but without the forward-facing intake the team previously used.

However, the idea that the new bulge is purely for cooling is at odds with how air flows through this part of the car. Normally, you would expect driver cooling to be directed to a specific area.

This avoids some of the flow disturbances that would otherwise occur. This is particularly problematic when you consider how many different components are housed in this area, including some moving suspension elements.

Furthermore, it seems rather odd to enlarge the bulge to potentially provide more airflow while simultaneously blocking a front vent from outside air.

In addition, the team did not indicate any changes to the vanity panel in the vehicle presentation documents for the Austrian Grand Prix – which rather rules out an update from an aerodynamic point of view.

At the British Grand Prix, the retention of the new chassis bulge occurred in cold, unfavourable conditions for the drivers, requiring additional cooling, fuelling the idea that there is more to this change than initially meets the eye – and that the real answer lies in the changes under the bodywork.

Although the team has not confirmed it, a detailed examination of the components in this area suggests a revised damper arrangement that requires more space. Such a change could be crucial in helping Mercedes add more stability to its aero platform and once again achieve the balance the company has been striving for for so long.

It is certainly common practice for Mercedes to add a bulge to this area of ​​the car during previous chassis modifications.

Mercedes W06 hydraulic parts, front suspension

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

In 2016, this test served a dual purpose as the team experimented with a new layout on the W06 for the following season, which included both an S-shaped duct layout and a revised stroke damper.

At that time, Mercedes was generally considered to be the manufacturer that had the best control over the suspension kinematics and their influence on the aerodynamic platform of the entire starting field.

Mercedes, for example, had one of the most advanced versions of the Front-to-Rear Interconnected (FRIC) suspension before the concept was banned, laying the foundation for the later, highly successful hydraulic suspension systems.

The move to more traditional spring and damper arrangements on the current cars has undoubtedly weakened some of the support that Mercedes and other teams provided before the rule changes.

This is now a disc spring arrangement, which is almost unanimously considered the best approach in the design of the stroke damper. This is no different at Mercedes, where they also use this method to control the vertical displacement of the chassis.

It is this component that is likely a candidate for upgrade or replacement, which led to the use of the curved vanity top.

Mercedes W15 technical details

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

A modified lifter and/or a change in the position of the component would also correspond with some of the aerodynamic changes the team has made recently. Optimizations here go hand in hand with creating a more stable platform, something the team has struggled with in this regulatory era.

In addition, the W15 now appears to be more responsive in different conditions and downforce levels, whereas previous updates to the car worked well on a race track but failed to meet their targets elsewhere.