Official FIA documents detailing Formula One improvements ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix sparked intrigue on Friday when it was shown that Mercedes had made no changes to its automotive.
With the following European phase of the season starting as a part of a critical series of 5 races in six weeks, Mercedes was expected to guide Barcelona by way of changes.
Indeed, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff spoke openly after the Canadian Grand Prix about latest parts on board for the race.
“We seem to be increasing our performance directionally every weekend and there will also be new things in Barcelona that should help us,” he said. “So I'm very hopeful that we can continue on this positive trajectory.”
As Motorsport.com later revealed, the centerpiece of the upgrade package for Spain was a brand new floor, which is one of the vital vital performance components of current F1 cars.
Typically, the arrival of latest parts is formally notified to competing teams and the media on Friday morning, when the FIA publishes so-called 'Car Presentation Entries'.
This document details all the brand new components utilized by teams and explains the aim of those improvements.
Technical details of the Mercedes W15
Photo taken by: Giorgio Piola
This forms a part of the requirement of Article 19.1 c) of the F1 Sporting Regulations, which states: “Each competitor must provide the Media Delegate with a summary document containing the names and a temporary description of all major aerodynamic and bodywork components and assemblies which have not been tested at a previous Competition or TCC ( testing current cars) and are intended to participate within the Competition.
Therefore, the shortage of a brand new floor in Mercedes' entry for Spain indicated that the German manufacturer can have hit a snag and delayed the introduction of the brand new part.
However, this is just not happening because the team is definitely working on the brand new floor.
So how could Mercedes introduce a brand new floor without having to notify the FIA? The answers lie within the specifics of what Mercedes has modified in the ground and what the regulations require.
Requirements of Art. 19 section 1 refer entirely to latest “aerodynamic and bodywork” elements, i.e. to anything that has modified shape or been modified in a brand new way.
The latest floor introduced by Mercedes is definitely a change not in its profile, but only in weight – it is solely a lighter version of what has been used thus far.
So from an aerodynamic and regulatory perspective, it’s officially an identical. Therefore, there was no have to inform the FIA.
However, from Mercedes' viewpoint, reducing weight at such a low point within the automotive should lead to improved performance – especially on a track that’s crucial for the aerodynamics and dynamics of the automotive, resembling Barcelona.
