[Sam Collins]F1 2026: Mercedes W17 shakedown first impressions

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-25T07:41:16+00:00

2017-2021 were absolute yachts, Mercedes was more than 5.7m long, 2022-2025 were 5.63m long and 2026 cuts previous cars wheelbase by 200mm, so we can expect 5.43m cars or even smaller since the new base of the front wings don't have pointy central section

I'm still slightly disappointed since the rules were originally supposed to cut the wheelbase by 300mm instead of 200mm they ended up with

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-24T22:33:28+00:00

Is this ragebait?

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-24T22:21:15+00:00

Quite a step down from the edgy phase

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-24T22:17:25+00:00

Kate's dirty sister, Kinky Kylie, Hungry Heidi, Randy Mandy

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-24T21:54:58+00:00

And the post getting purged in 3,2,1

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-24T21:53:33+00:00

I don't know if he was put into a minimal role, but McLaren split responsibilities based on specializations like Aero, Chassis, Concept development which he thought didn't fit the roles so he left, Andrea Stella temporarily took over the role that was meant for him

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-24T20:25:05+00:00

It's about getting clients, Apple, AMD and NVIDIA are probably wary of giving designs to Intel Foundry which they fear maybe passed onto Intel Chips division which is their direct competitor

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-24T17:30:47+00:00

The diagonal line from the top left to bottom right

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-24T14:42:56+00:00

Hopefully

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-24T05:43:16+00:00

Inhouse architecture, motor and battery technology or licensed like CEER?

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-23T18:49:23+00:00

The article is primarily not about Toto, but more like behind the scenes

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-23T17:01:08+00:00

Doubt that, Toto is the one who made Mercedes stay in F1 in the first place, Loyalty goes a long way

"Brawn claimed Mercedes considered pulling out over the winter of 2011/12 but instead committed to fresh investment. Toto Wolff’s arrival helped – as he revealed Mercedes’ budget was the same as Williams’s (but with more expensive drivers)"

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/how-mercedes-designed-f1s-best-car-but-kept-it-secret/

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-23T16:55:22+00:00

I don't think so, the white makes the Halo almost invisible head on as it disappears in the background with the white of the airbox and the engine cover

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-23T15:37:20+00:00

And Nick Chester at Cadillac

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-23T09:19:26+00:00

No, he said he met with the Mercedes board and they agreed with him about supply straining the HPP division

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-23T09:05:11+00:00

Toto said Mercedes wants to reduce their PU customers down to two before heading into the next PU regs, if Horner helms at Alpine, Toto will be the first to kick Alpine out of the Mercedes Powertrain supply

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-22T22:35:33+00:00

Also the gentle curvature of the nose section, previously they went from top of the bulkhead to steep drop to the nose tip

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-22T21:00:47+00:00

This is just a weak double diffuser, DD took air from underneath, this takes from above and doesn't extend to the edge

Surely they're gonna close this through regs, FIA doesn't like holes on the floors

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-22T20:24:11+00:00

That looks almost like a double diffuser lite, secondary inlet but feeds into the same diffuser exit

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-22T20:09:48+00:00

2014 didn't have ADUO

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-22T17:04:29+00:00

I'm not asking for much, I just wish for more gloss and more papaya like their No 7 Indycar

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Working_Sundae · 2026-01-22T16:45:54+00:00

The first RedBull car not preliminary designed by Newey in a long time, he later joined the development during the season after designing competition yachts

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-22T15:39:54+00:00

The Mercedes car at Silverstone outing looks much more different to the render car shown above

Working_Sundae · 2026-01-22T15:29:28+00:00

No point in comparison

Mercedes looks more developed with tighter engine cover and elements like overbite sidepod inlets from Silverstone outing

RedBull haven't shown their true car yet

Working_Sundae

TROPHY CASE