Mercedes’ one-two in Las Vegas is a result worth analyzing. On the street circuit along the Strip, the Silver Arrows returned to prominence after struggling in recent races, leaving the team fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, far behind the top three teams: McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull.
The W15, after showing flashes of competitiveness during the summer (Austria, Great Britain, and Belgium), had slipped back to being a midfield contender. No one, absolutely no one, expected the black-silver arrows to storm back to the forefront so dominantly.
In preparation for the third-to-last event of the season, most teams pursued the most aerodynamically unloaded setups possible. However, engineers under James Allison resisted this trend, opting instead for a low-drag wing configuration with distinctly higher downforce profiles.
The goal was not to chase top speeds at the end of straights, as Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull did, but to achieve a balanced tire performance. Las Vegas was expected to feature low temperatures, with the race held at night. After the first free practice session, few took notice of the Mercedes cars leading the timesheets, with Lewis Hamilton setting the pace ahead of George Russell, leaving the rest nearly a second behind.
The W15 typically performs well on “green” tracks but usually falls back as the asphalt cleans up and grip improves. This time, however, things were different. The two Mercedes stuck with their pre-determined rear wing setup, while Ferrari abandoned the Spa-Francorchamps version in favor of the Monza spec. McLaren also introduced a new profile intended to replace the controversial mini-DRS design from Baku.
Even Red Bull, equipped with the highest downforce rear wing, trimmed its DRS flap twice in hopes of gaining speed. Helmut Marko admitted that aerodynamic decisions at Milton Keynes had been flawed, as the team lacked a less resistant configuration. Pierre Waché’s team chose not to invest in low-drag setups, given that only four of the 24 calendar races feature ultra-fast circuits. Instead, they allocated budget cap resources to other areas of car development.
Red Bull struggled in Nevada. The RB20’s complex cooling system prevents the Honda RBPT H002 power unit from delivering full power in such conditions. For reliability reasons, the car sacrifices horsepower, increasing drag, which takes a toll at the end of straights. To compensate, Red Bull trimmed the DRS flap more than they had at Monza.
Ferrari focused on making the SF-24 competitive on the straights but overlooked the challenges of heating the tires with reduced vertical load. Despite the availability of Pirelli’s softest compounds (C3, C4, and C5), the car’s reduced energy input into the tires proved costly. Additionally, the FIA’s recent technical directive mandating the removal of metal reinforcements from under the skid plank may have forced Ferrari to raise the SF-24’s ride height more than its competitors.
In summary, Mercedes’ bold decision to go against the grain paid off with a stunning one-two finish, marking their 60th such achievement. However, the dynamic may shift in Qatar, a track seemingly tailored to McLaren, especially if temperatures are high. Ferrari, too, has the tools to challenge the papaya cars, but it must believe in its chances until the very end.
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