Mercedes Technical Director James Allison admits the team will be “better guided” with the direction it takes with the 2018 design as he looks to produce a more predictable car compared to what has often being described as the ‘diva’ 2017 machine.
The German manufacturer does look set to continue their run of double championship success for a fourth straight year with Lewis Hamilton 59 points clear of Sebastian Vettel and the team 145 points clear of Ferrari in the Constructors’ standings.
Yet this season has proven much harder than the previous three, since the turbo hybrid engines were introduced in 2014, with new-look cars allowing the Scuderia to challenge and Red Bull to close up.in turn has highlighted weaknesses of the Mercedes on softer tyre compounds, high downforce circuits and in hotter conditions.
In turn, the greater competition has highlighted weaknesses of the Mercedes on softer tyre compounds, high downforce circuits and in hotter conditions all of which have meant finding the optimum performance window has been very difficult to achieve consistently.
“Well it is difficult, but it doesn’t disobey the laws of physics!” Allison claimed to ESPN. “It is clearly understandable but that doesn’t mean that it is always very easy to get the very best of it. It’s been a challenge this year to achieve the results that we have with it, nevertheless, we have achieved some pretty decent outcomes with it so it’s not been a bad machine for us.
“However, we’d like a car that is easier to throw at the race track and easier to guarantee that every time we come racing we get every last bit from it. Such changes that we have been able to make this year we have and next year we hope we make something with a slightly sweeter temperament.”
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What is interesting is those same characteristics were true even with the previous design rules with the same circuits such as Monaco, Hungary, Singapore and Malaysia a chance for their rivals to win on pure pace.
For Allison, however, the 2018 car will be the first he can put his stamp on having joined the Brackley-based team back in March and he is confident the experience of developing the current car, the first of its type under the new rules will better shape next year’s philosophy.
“Last year was more of a blank sheet of paper and therefore you had more design choices to make,” he explained, comparing the challenge of designing the 2017 car, “that was true for everybody and we go into next year with a lot more information about how these cars behave and therefore with clearer ideas about what we would like to do about the next season.
“But that’s true for everybody and therefore everyone will be better guided and the overall difficulty to be the quickest will remain the same because the new challenge of refining your current weapon will be the same for everyone.”
