Mercedes is one of the favorites at the first training session Friday for the formula 1 season 2020 to meet. Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas occupy in the first and second Free practice, the first two ranks, the champion of the world, with the best time of the day in 1:04.304 minutes the sound. However, threatening the world champion team in Trouble, as rival Red Bull has officially tabled a Protest against THE steering system at the FIA.

"I think this will still be protests," predicts Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff Interview the step up from Red Bull after the second Free practice, already in the 'ORF' -. The Austrian has already anticipated such a measure. "Then it comes to a clarification of the FIA," he is happy.

he adds: "Then we'll see which Argument prevails." Officially, Red Bull has filed according to the FIA notice of Protest, on the basis of article 3.8 and 10.2.3 of the Technical regulations. In these passages is regulated by the influence on the aerodynamics accurately. Also, it is written: "During the journey no adjustment on a suspension system can be made."

FIA has admitted "reluctantly": THE legal

Mercedes had presented the novel steering system of the FIA in the previous year. Technical Director James Allison told interview during the early summer break, in a video: "We have shown the FIA's our idea, and explains why we believe they are legal. And reluctantly, she agreed that a double-axle steering is legal."

the implementation does not have to like the world Federation, which is why the engineers have designed into the winter break with a new solution. During the winter tests in Barcelona, the competition was amazed, finally, not bad, as Hamilton and Bottas moved suddenly on the steering Wheel and the track of the front wheels changed.

Since then, the world champion team had no way to test the System. In the Friday training sessions in Spielberg saw the pilot again on the steering Wheel to pull. According to team boss Wolff, Hamilton and Bottas from their engineers have to get exact instructions on how you can use THE most effectively.

In the Onboard recording of the Finns was to see how he pulled out his steering Wheel to curve 4 and THE curves in the two links in the middle part of the Red Bull Ring started. That puzzled some Watching, including TV expert Alexander Wurz in the 'ORF'. According to the GPDA-President-the sample of Bottas have looked more like a "function test".

In the winter tests, the System was mainly on the Straight to use. "Maybe it makes on the Straight with the 870 meters up to turn 3 is not so much of a difference," he says Wurz. He has a different theory: "Maybe you can try it only in the two left-handers to use, because the right tire is not quite as hot as the left."

By the driver to adjust the track, they generate more friction, so that the temperature can be changed in the front tires, so Wurz. "The track is only a vehicle dynamic tool. You can either adjust for temperature, Grip or top speed."

THE "most effective" behind the Safety Car?

team boss Wolff suggests that his compatriot could have with that theory is right: "[The most effective], it will not be in the race, but probably in a warm-up lap or a lap behind the Safety Car." This suggests that Mercedes operates on the THE tyre management.

Generally speaking, the world champion team wants to ascribe to the System but no great advantage. Wolff stresses that the steering system won't bring as much "belief". He speaks of the "marginal Gains". The Performance depends, finally, on the racing is always of very many factors.

In the history of formula 1 there have been only a technical Innovation, which was indeed groundbreaking: "it was the double-diffuser", is reminiscent of Vienna at the season of 2009 when BrawnGP with Jenson Button out of Nothing thanks to the Innovation champion of the world.

THIS, however, is rather a component of many, which should make Mercedes back to the best-in-Class. "It helps with security on the subject of tyre temperature, but if it is taken out, then we have a massive weight advantage," says Wolff.

A successful Protest, the competition is not, therefore, necessarily have a performance disadvantage for the black silver arrows. "IT weighs a couple of kilos, and this in a place where it is relatively unfavorable, with a high center of gravity." Mercedes would have to expand THE already for the upcoming race again, the "would not be so bad," says the team boss.

Even without the excessive use of the novel system, Hamilton and Bottas in Austria were able to take easily the lead and the field behind gather. On his fastest lap, the world champion managed to set a lap time of 1:04.304 minutes, he distanced the third-placed Racing-Point-driver, Sergio Perez, already, at six and a half tenths of a second.

failure of the telemetry transmission problem in the case of Bottas

The Team reported a trouble-free Friday, the is "better than expected" run. While fighting Ferrari (lack of Power) and Red Bull (driver) had, seemed to be Mercedes unfazed by the unusual Situation, to be able seamlessly to the Performance of the winter tests to match.

This impressed the experts. "You can see that he starts turning the steering wheel once. The car starts to slide on all four wheels, the driver feels comfortable and he doesn't have to readjust," says Wurz in 'ORF', the fastest lap from Hamilton in Spielberg. This means that The Grip on the front and rear axles is equal, the vehicle balance is right. "This is for a driver to be a dream."

Not only on a round, Mercedes has given the sound, in the Longrun, in the second half of the second training, the Team was in a League of its own too. With a constant low 1:08 lap times, was stopping Hamilton from the rest of the field.

Nevertheless, Quite easily the day went well for the favorites. "In Lewis there were at the beginning of the second training, a failure of the telemetry that has stopped us," says Andrew Shovlin. Hamilton himself is satisfied with his performance on Friday: "it is Positive that the car today, well felt like, and that we have improved the car in comparison to last year."

He knows: "It definitely looks good, but you should never read too much into the Training in." Hamilton stressed: "We remain cautious and will try to improve the car overnight." Needs to improve the Team in any case, on the other side of the Garage.

Because: "Valtteri had to stop due to a gearbox problem early. This is a Problem that we don't see us just at the Moment we know the cause, but still," says Shovlin. Bottas had to insert at the end of the second training call, he could no more. Therefore, he came prematurely to the Box.

Bottas in search of the perfect Balance

"The day was quite okay. We had a few minor problems at the end, but apart from that it was a good day. It has been getting better and better," says the Finn. And even the senior race engineer is a little surprising: "The track came to us in the past years, but the car seemed to work this time, from the beginning, is reasonable." He turns the Aero and engine updates is a good testimony.

For Saturday, the Team expected a higher track temperature and more Grip. "That means on this route most of the time, we may need to change the Set-up," predicts Bottas. "For me, the main thing is that I set the Balance right, both in rapid as well as slow corners."

Sometimes the vote on Friday, got fitted for slow-speed turns, sometimes fast - "but we have not been able to vote on anything for an entire round fine". This will be for the flying lap on Saturday is crucial.

What Mercedes can hold now of a double Pole on Saturday? "Our Pace seemed to be competitive today, but we don't know what fuel quantities and engine modes, the other Teams are threats. Usually, it is always tight when the temperatures rise" there Shovlin to bear in mind.

This article was written by Maria Reyer

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Date Of Update: 03 July 2020, 15:27