Step forward then on Tuesday Mark Webber, with a reminder of some of the stark realities of the new era – that power, the cornerstone of the German marque’s success, remains paramount.Nor is he alone. Speaking on Wednesday evening to Patrick Head, who was at the sharp and successful end of interpreting many new technical regulations, was equally telling. “If anybody was thinking of these rules with the aim of closing the field up then they’ve got rocks in their head,” he said with characteristic honesty.
The aim of the rule changes was faster, more aggressive-looking cars that are harder to drive and that offer the chance for other teams to close the gap to Mercedes. The focus has been on shifting design emphasis from engine to aero, a “chassis formula” that features wider cars, boasting more downforce, supplemented by greater mechanical grip from wider, more durable Pirelli rubber.
Early indications are that certainly the speeds, especially through cornering as intended, have been achieved. Simulations have shown Barcelona now running at full-throttle for 70% rather than the 50% of 2016, with turn three at the Circuit de Catalunya now being taken flat-out.
This, then, has been widely perceived as putting Red Bull, and Adrian Newey’s undeniable skill at wringing the most from an aero package, at an advantage heading into the new season. But the aero focus has a cost, as Webber noted. “The cars are going to have a lot more downforce, it’s going to be more power sensitive than ever,” he said. “You’ll need a bigger engine more than you ever have done, because of wider tyres and more drag.”
Which puts Mercedes at this stage, carrying their engine superiority, which was probably around 40-50bhp over the Renault that powered Red Bull last year, back in the driving seat. Even more so with the expected increase in top speeds as Head, a fundamental part of the Williams team’s extraordinary successes, points out.
“There is no doubt about it that the drag levels of the car will be higher,” he said. “But what makes the engine fractionally more important is that with more downforce, which they will undoubtedly have, your percentage at full throttle – the percentage of the lap at which you are power limited rather than grip limited – will be higher, so if you have that bit more power it will give a slight advantage.”
The complex token system for engine development has thankfully been abandoned and teams are free to develop power units. Ferrari, Renault and Honda will have made steps forward. But so, of course, will have Mercedes, which means that they will likely still be holding the upper hand come Australia.