F1 uncovered: Subtle changes for Mercedes boosted performance in Azerbaijan

Mercedes took advantage of missteps by its rivals during the course of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, whilst also maximising the setup of the W16 at a track that puts various demands on the car.

This included the introduction of a revised front wing arrangement, whilst Mercedes also made changes to the rear wing to complement the downforce required at the track.

Picking up the pieces

The new front wing solution that’s been added to its availability pool revolves around the trim level of the upper flap, with the chord height and trailing edge shape altered when compared with the one used at the Italian Grand Prix (upper in the comparison, above).

Notably the chord height across the span of the element is no longer uniform, with sections trimmed from either side of the moveable flap section (arrowed) to alter the airflow’s behaviour and how and where the downforce is being generated.

At the rear of the car there was more work being done to balance the car to the demands of the circuit, with a Gurney flap attached to the trailing edge of the upper flap (arrowed).

Meanwhile, the Italian Grand Prix arrangement which featured a new tip section was also devoid of a Gurney flap on the trailing edge of the upper flap (inset).

To further shift their ability to generate downforce in the Baku street circuit’s middle sector, the team also ran a different beam wing setup on the W16.

For Monza Mercedes had opted for just a single, smaller element beam wing, whilst their bi-plane arrangement was installed for the extra challenges posed by the Baku street circuit.

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