Mercedes F1 endured a nightmare of an Italian Grand Prix as per their lofty standards. In a race full of drama and numerous talking points, one particular moment that grabbed some eyeballs, with respect to Mercedes, was when their cars came into the pits after the red flag.
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Viewers could clearly see that there was some work being done on both the W11’s. If you were one among a few others, who found yourself questioning the rule books, then fear not because Mercedes themselves put the matter to rest.
Mercedes F1’s Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin, said, “The regulations permit you to do a limited amount of work. All you’re allowed to do is change the brake cooling and you can also change the engine cooling.
“And with our experience, in the early part of the race, we were running hotter than we wanted. (So) we were able to open the cars up a bit.”
Shovlin further adds, “The reason you may have seen on the television, Joe Bauer, the FIA’s technical delegate there, is that there is another rule that prevents you adding any weight to the car during the race. So we’re allowed to change bits so long as they’re not in anyway heavier.”
It was mighty decent of Mercedes to come out with a clarification themselves. As a fan, F1 is the kind of sport wherein you can learn something new every day.
Mercedes explain why Lewis Hamilton switched to the hard compound tires for the restart
Another question that popped into a lot of people’s minds concerned Lewis Hamilton’s tire choice for the second half of the race. And Mercedes were gracious enough to answer that as well.
James Vowles, Mercedes F1’s Motorsport Director, said, “The medium tires were in a new state. But Lewis had pushed for a lap and then had several laps under a safety car. So they lost their initial edge.
“The medium and the hard were very similar in terms of performance. We needed a tire that he could push on, lean on, and wouldn’t overheat in that condition.”
In the end, that move worked well for Hamilton. The 6-time World Champion who joined the track in 17th (last place), rose up the grid rather quickly and ended the race in P7. That result still keeps him out in front in the race for the championship.
