The sacrifice in Qualifying did not cost the front row
George Russell’s technical k.o. prevented Mercedes from dominating the Canadian GP, but there is no doubt that without the trouble a one-two finish would have arrived.
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli pointed out that the track and temperatures did not allow the team to fully exploit the updates brought to the W17, but the fact that the gap in Qualifying was not too heavy for the rivals is attributable to a precise choice made by Mercedes ahead of the GP.
According to Auto Motor und Sport, in fact, Mercedes reacted to the widely expected temperature drop on Sunday by enhancing the rim heating system. Mercedes developed a stratagem that involves an ingenious transfer of heat from the brakes to the rims, heating the tire carcass from the inside.
Normally teams try to cool the tires through the specific design of the rims. In this case, however, the braking system was modified to channel a greater amount of hot air towards the rims. Apparently, Mercedes has developed an intelligent system that allows gradual control of the heating process. This innovation is only available from this season. In recent years, Formula 1 mandated the use of standard rims. Now, teams are allowed to use their own designs.
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George Russell had anticipated after Qualifying that a change had been made at Mercedes with a race perspective. “We made some changes to the car. We will have to see if it was the right choice. We made these changes because of the forecasts for tomorrow. This might have penalized us a bit today”, were Russell’s words.
The excellent management of tire temperature especially on the front axle was the big difference between Mercedes and McLaren. The Woking team had huge problems in this regard and the braking errors of Norris and Piastri were the consequence.
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