SUMMARY
- There are some significant changes in the W15 that can give them an edge.
- This will be the team's last chance to win a Championship with Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes was the best team in Formula 1 from 2014 to 2020. However, in the last couple of years, they have not been able to put on a fight for the Championship. But the team is hopeful that they will be able to do so soon as they look to take a different direction in their design from the 2024 season.
Mercedes unveiled their 2024 livery on Valentine’s Day. The car chose to go with a combination of their black and silver liveries. It looked like the love child of the W14 and the W13. While the car did look special, there were some major notable changes in the design.
What changes has Mercedes made for the 2024 season?
For the past few months, Mercedes has been very clear about changing the entire concept of the car for the 2024 season. They understood that they would not be able to upgrade the W14 into a competitive car.
As the team unveiled their livery for 2024, the front wing of the W15 caught everyone’s eyes. There was a remarkable difference between the front wing of the W14 and the W15. The new design is expected to create more front downforce to balance the car. This will prevent understeer on the car.
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Some believe that Mercedes has found some sort of loophole to accomplish some extra performance from the front wing. They believe that this could give them the edge over the Austrian team allowing them to challenge for the Championship.
There are also some changes they have brought into the sidepods. Since the current regulations give the teams some freedom when it comes to the sidepods, there will be a variety of designs. While Mercedes has revealed their livery, the design on the same will not be the car that hits the tracks during pre-season. We could see a very different car in Bahrain.
The team will be hoping that their innovative front wing will give them the edge over Red Bull this season. This will be Lewis Hamilton’s last chance to win a Championship with Mercedes as he will be off to Ferrari after this season.
How does the W15 compare to the RB20?
When Red Bull unveiled their livery for the 2024 season, there were some innovative changes implemented in the new design. The RB20 featured a verticle inlet that is supposed to boost the performance of the car.
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The basic concept of the RB20 is expected to remain the same as in the last 2 years. However, the team’s innovative vertical inlet is expected to keep the team ahead of everyone else in 2024 as well. However, if Mercedes; car shows potential during the pre-season testing, we could see them dethrone the reigning CHampions.
It is safe to say that we are in for one hell of a season. Not only on track but even off track. Most of the drivers don’t have a contract for the 2025 season. This will create some changes in the teams’ driver lineups. The lineups could be affected by each of the team’s performances on the track.