P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The trick rear wing that Mercedes brought to Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix had an expected laptime gain bigger than Kimi Antonelli’s pole position margin, team sources have suggested.
Mercedes brought a trick rear wing to the Monaco Grand Prix, which team sources suggested could provide a larger lap time gain than Kimi Antonelli’s pole position margin of 0.043 seconds. Several teams, including Mercedes, took advantage of the active aero ban in Monaco, utilizing complex mini wings to make up for the absence of normal rear wing activation devices. The predicted gains from the Mercedes design were estimated to be between 0.045 to 0.05 seconds, potentially greater than the gap between Antonelli and Max Verstappen. While the team did not conduct back-to-back tests in Monaco, they found that the wing justified its presence on the car, especially considering Red Bull’s introduction of its own winglets. Lewis Hamilton noted Ferrari’s potential missed opportunity in not pursuing a similar exploit during the tense qualifying battle in Monaco. Additionally, Mercedes made significant set-up changes overnight to address Friday practice struggles, allowing Antonelli to secure pole position by improving the car’s performance and handling characteristics. The adjustments focused on softening the ride and improving mechanical balance to equalize tyre temperatures, enabling the drivers to push harder and attack the kerbs with more confidence during the qualifying session.
