Formula 1 News: Mercedes Brings Revised Front Suspension Wishbone to Montreal
In a bid to improve its performance, Mercedes introduced a revised front suspension wishbone to complement its new front wing design, which featured a more conventional upper element, at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. The team’s decision to run this new setup in Montreal came after it experimented with a detached, short-chord top plane at the start of the season.
The wet weather conditions during both Friday practice sessions limited the amount of data Mercedes could gather from the enhancements, but the team still managed to make progress in balancing its W15 between the front and rear axles. Lewis Hamilton, driving the Mercedes F1 W15, felt confident in the wet-weather running and expressed optimism about the team’s chances of closing the gap with the top three teams – Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren.
“Honestly, it’s too early to say [where we are]. I feel like I’m in fighting spirits, I feel the car is reacting to my inputs, and as I said, I feel really confident out there. But we won’t know until we get out on Saturday; it’s often a different day for us, and I’m hoping tomorrow’s a good day. In either conditions, I felt really strong today, so I’m really hopeful. I feel like we’re closer to the front this weekend.”
During the delayed FP1 session, Hamilton was keen to hit the track first, urging his team to give him ample time to get accustomed to the resurfaced Montreal track, which is now much smoother. “It felt great. I was just raring to go, just every second I was telling the guys ‘let’s get out, let’s get out.’ I was rushing them, ‘Let’s go, let’s go,’ just to maximise time on track whatever the conditions,” Hamilton explained.
The Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix marks an important milestone in the 2019 Formula 1 calendar, and Mercedes is hopeful that its revised front suspension wishbone will pay dividends in the qualifying session today. With Hamilton exuding confidence in the wet weather, it remains to be seen how the team will fare in the dry conditions tomorrow. Stay tuned for more Formula 1 news and updates from Montreal.
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