Lewis Hamilton’s TH3 crash at Monaco’s F1 Grand Prix gave the world a good view of Mercedes’ new bottom, providing some useful insights into the team’s intentions.
When Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes was lifted into the sky over Monaco following its collision with the barrier at Mirabeau at the end of EL3, everyone was treated to a view of the underside of the W14, an area of the car that we rarely get to see.
The timing of the incident was particularly awkward for Mercedes, whose team boss Toto Wolff joked about a situation straight out of Cirque du Soleil. Indeed, this weekend, the team inaugurated a series of improvements made to raise the bar, in particular with regard to the floor.
For the past two seasons, seeing the underside of the floor has been rare, as track marshals diligently evacuate wrecked cars off the track, making it difficult for photographers to capture every detail.
However, the logistical constraints and challenges inherent in Monaco’s narrow streets have already allowed us to see the Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull this weekend, as all three cars were lifted by nearby cranes.
While these images are highly anticipated, perhaps it’s their rarity that makes them more appealing than what they reveal when they surface.
Still, the photos offer small bits of information about where the teams are headed with these new rules, even though we don’t have a frame of reference from the start of the season.
Comparing Mercedes’ floor to Red Bull’s, which seems to have one of the most detailed designs around, it seems like things are less complicated in terms of surface topology. In particular, Red Bull has been much more keen on contorting the floorboard and its ridges in order to micro-manage airflow behavior and pressure distribution.
Sergio Pérez’s Red Bull after its crash in Q1.
However, Mercedes has made undeniable progress if you compare this year’s design to the floor of last year’s W13. The team took design cues from its rivals, such as the serrated keel, rather than using a teardrop-shaped transition to the impact structure, as had been done before.
This effectively manages the expansion in the diffuser section, to improve flow flow stability as the height of the car changes.
As with all components of the car, the photos taken on Saturday of the floor are just a snapshot. The whole car is constantly evolving and could be very different in the next event. The development of the floors of Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari last season is a prime example.
The development of the floor of the Ferrari F1-75.
