Mercedes would be open to changing the design of their front wing if it proves they’ve gone the wrong route; that change though could take months says Toto Wolff.
When Mercedes and Ferrari launched their 2019 cars, one of the most notable differences between the two was the design of their front wings.
Ferrari went with a different design to all their rivals excluding Alfa Romeo.
The SF90’s wing slopes downward from the middle and then rises away from the ground towards the endplates.
As for the W10’s wing, it rises upwards towards the endplates and uses the maximum depth permitted in front of the tyre.
With Ferrari seeming to be the team to beat in pre-season testing, this has raised questions about whether Mercedes could change the design of their front wing.
“You need to be open minded,” Motorsport.com quotes Mercedes motorsport boss Wolff as having said. “We have always had a different design philosophy to many of the other teams.
“We have gone longer than the other teams. We have never had rake in the car compared to some of the other teams. It is not because we believed our concept was superior in every angle, but we believe that the whole car power unit package was the best for us that way.
“Having said that, with new regulatory change, you need to be open minded about what the others have done. And if something functions better, every team at the moment will look at what the others have put on the car and try it themselves.”
Pressed as to whether Mercedes would be open to changing their design, Wolff warned that it is not a quick nor simple process.
“These are things you don’t do from one day to another,” he said. “If you were to think to change the aerodynamic concept of the car, it is not a matter of days or weeks. It is a matter of months.”
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