P1racenews AI automatic summary:
What Mercedes’ W14 errors tell us about its 2024 F1 car changes
Mercedes has made significant changes to their F1 car for the upcoming season, including a new chassis, suspension, gearbox, and aerodynamics. The most important changes, however, are in the areas that are difficult to observe, such as the underfloor, aero platform concept, and ride height. Their previous ground effect cars had issues related to ride height, which affected the car’s performance. In 2022, their W13 suffered from porpoising due to downforce being generated close to the ground. Despite some recovery during the season, the raised floor edges in 2023 forced Mercedes to make a critical decision. They chose to chase downforce higher up, fearing the risk of porpoising, but it turned out to be too cautious. For the 2024 season, Mercedes will aim for a balanced aero platform with stable regulations, not too low or too high.
