SUMMARY
- There has been doubt on whether Mercedes' new front wing is legal.
- The FIA has given their judgment on the W15's front wing.
When the W15 first revealed its livery, there was something very unique about its new design. The front wing of the car drew a lot of attention from the rivals. Some think that the wing is illegal, and others think that Mercedes has found a loophole in the regulations that they have decided to exploit. But is this new front wing of the W15 actually legal?
Is the new front wing of the new Mercedes legal?
Despite speculation and accusations, the FIA has deemed the new Mercedes front wing legal. However, there is some controversy as to whether it goes against the spirit of the regulations.
In 2022, the FIA introduced new regulations to improve the quality of racing. This meant reducing the amount of turbulent air coming out of the vehicle. However, Mercedes seems to have taken an aggressive approach to the front wing. This approach will most likely increase the turbulent air for the car behind.
🚨 | The Mercedes W15 front wing has already been deemed LEGAL by the FIA.
However, some might argue it goes against “the spirit of the regulations.”https://t.co/1DWwhCVHNO
— formularacers (@formularacers_) February 20, 2024
This will make it very difficult for cars to follow the W15 during the race. Hence, overtaking the Mercedes could prove to be quite challenging. However, can the Mercedes be the strongest car on the field?
Is the W15 faster than the RB20?
From the results of day 1 of pre-season testing, we can assume that the RB20 is much faster than the rest of the cars. Red Bull has come up with some new developments that seem to be pretty promising. Max Verstappen finished day 1 of pre-season testing 8 tenths faster than Lando Norris who came in 2nd. George Russell on the other hand only managed to finish 12th.
The RB20 has made several new innovations as well. These new innovations seem to be working well with the car. As it stands, it looks as though Red Bull will have the strongest car on the grid. However, Mercedes is not too far behind.
⚠️ | Estimated race pace based on simulations:
Red Bull
Mercedes +0,45
Ferrari +0,5
Aston Martin +0,55
McLaren +1,1
Racing Bulls +1,15
Williams +1,3
Sauber +1,45
Alpine +1,5
Haas +1,6#F1 pic.twitter.com/QxxAIiSiHS— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) February 23, 2024
It will be interesting to see which team is the closest to Red Bull in 2024. McLaren and Ferrari seem to be very close to the pace of the RB20 as well.
Given that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving the team after this season, all attention will be on George Russell in Mercedes. He will be the new team leader from this season onwards. There are some who don’t think that Russell will be up to the task. However, Toto Wolff is happy with his driver and is looking forward to how Russell will improve as a driver.