Mercedes has committed to using the brand new track surface for the remainder of the Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend after being unsure about its potential when it was first introduced in Belgium.
As a part of the upgrade programme that helped transform the W15 right into a race winner, Mercedes trialled the brand new floor for the primary time at Spa-Francorchamps before the summer break.
However, after a difficult Friday that left the team bewildered by poor handling and a scarcity of straight-line speed, things have modified and the team has returned to its previous, familiar specification.
The move was more of a cautionary tale, nevertheless, because the team was confident that the information coming from the factory confirmed that the brand new design represented an improvement, even when its potential was not immediately realised.
To confirm their findings, Mercedes split the specification of their cars during first practice at Zandvoort, with George Russell driving the brand new floor while Lewis Hamilton stayed with the old one.
But with the team completely satisfied with initial impressions, with Hamilton handling the second FP with none issues and Russell taking pole position within the standings, the team has seen enough to be satisfied that the brand new floor is the approach to go.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo: Andy Hone / Motorsports images
Mercedes track engineering director Andrew Shovlin said the changeable weather conditions on Friday morning weren’t ideal for getting a very clear picture of the track surface, but there was enough evidence from the day to suggest it could be best to persist with the present conditions.
“Today was an encouraging start to the weekend,” said Shovlin. “The conditions in FP1 were particularly difficult, with very strong winds and heavy rain making it difficult to accurately read the updated floor we dropped at Spa.
“Nevertheless, what we saw was in line with expectations, so we will continue the weekend with these features fitted to both cars.”
Mercedes are set for a tricky battle this weekend with their biggest rivals, McLaren and Red Bull, and the gap between them appears to be small.
Russell said: “It was tough on the market due to the windy conditions. It was probably the windiest I can remember driving an F1 automobile in over the previous couple of years. Nevertheless, the automobile felt really good and the updated floor we dropped at Spa appeared to be working well.
“The front row seems to be quite close again. We expect to see another exciting battle for the podium places over the rest of the weekend.”
