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Mercedes: "Overtaking could be impossible"

Published on 27 Mar 2017 16:55
8
By: Rob Veenstra

We may only be one race into the 2017 season, but Mercedes is already warning that the new rules could be making overtaking on track impossible for the drivers.

Speaking to F1's official website, team boss Toto Wolff explained: "I love the new cars. When you look at the onboard - for example Lewis' pole position lap - that is mind-blowing. That is what we wanted to achieve. But the overtaking is not great. Melbourne might be different though - when we get to tracks where the DRS effect is a little bit larger it might help us."

Wolff's drivers are also worried about their ability to overtake others, with Lewis Hamilton saying that upon losing the race lead in Australia while in the pits, he knew he would be unable to retake it from Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel on track.

"Unfortunately it's harder than ever to get close to cars, which is a shame," the Briton revealed. "I just took it easy. At the end, obviously, I got more pace but even if I did close the gap, you can't overtake."

Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas said of the difficulty: "You know even in the years before it's been difficult to follow once you get within one and a half, one second. The turbulent air messes up the aerodynamics of the car and that way we don't have much grip. Now, as more of the grip from the car is relying on the aero it's a bigger effect and the cars are wider so I think there's more turbulent air."

"I think it's more like two seconds or even two and a half, because you actually feel quite a big effect from the car in front. That way in the corners it's more difficult to follow. Obviously you have a bigger slipstream on the straight, but if you can't follow in the corners it's tricky to get a slipstream. That's the problem."

Mason Hawker

Barron

Posts: 625

This is why they are supposed to be the best drivers in the wold, just get on with it...

1
Mar 27 2017 - 19:30

F1 News Valtteri Bottas Lewis Hamilton Sebastian Vettel Susie Wolff Mercedes Ferrari

Replies (8)

calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
We have already seen some overtakes during Melbourne, a very overtake-unfriendly track, so I doubt it. It might be less than last year, but last year was a very pleasant extreme, I must say, and were far above the average. What I do think however is that this year will show why its good to retain DRS.
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- Mar 27 2017 - 17:18
Barron

Posts: 625
This is why they are supposed to be the best drivers in the wold, just get on with it...
- + 1
- Mar 27 2017 - 19:30
- Barron
  
  Posts: 625
  *world* sorry, Wold is in Stow.☺
  + 0
  
  Mar 27 2017 - 19:31
Freguz

Posts: 160
But why not just brake much later and be a little more careless? The new rules of letting the drivers race each other more freely could be a great gray area to exploit
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- Mar 27 2017 - 23:07
- mclarenfan1968
  
  Posts: 1,027
  Brake wear. Do that too often it overheats and the next time you for a strong bite it fails to give that and you go straight off.
  + 1
  
  Mar 28 2017 - 06:36
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  This. I doubt they'd gain much from braking later than they already do. Braking later generally also means you will brake harder, and the tyres might not fancy that treatment.
  + 0
  
  Mar 28 2017 - 07:55
Major Tom

Posts: 152
I think Calle, there were only about a quarter of the overtaking move this year (as compared to last year). Also Ferrari looked good in the first race last year then failed to win a race. I fear we are going to going to have a worse year this year than last. Bring back the time when Murray Walker could say "here we are at beginning of the seventh race of the season and already we have had six winners from four different teams".
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- Mar 29 2017 - 11:58
Sirhenry

Posts: 759
Overtaking Red Bull and Renault will be no problem, weakest engine of the field....what a fail! Red Bull better start building the 2018 car as 2017 is already lost. Renault get a big uograde in Canada....pfff French Fail....
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- Mar 29 2017 - 21:59