Mercedes equipped W13 Hamilton with sensors to collect data during the Australian Grand Prix

Mercedes outfitted Lewis Hamilton’s car with sensors during last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. This says Strategy Director James Fowles in a conversation with him Dutch branch of Motorsport.com† The selection for this was unusual, but necessary according to the CEO.

Normally, according to Vowles, placing sensors on the car prior to the race wouldn’t be a consideration, but in this case it was necessary. Mercedes used the sensors to gather more data about W13 problems. “You do what it takes to know what’s going on. But of course it’s not an ordinary year and the car is already very heavy,” the Englishman points out, referring to the new technical regulations.

Hamilton drove through the sensors with a car heavier than George Russell’s, but that’s not crazy according to Vowles: “This is how two cars work, they are made of thousands of parts that make the car specifically for George or Louis. . Things like that don’t all weigh exactly the same. There is always a certain difference in weight. Weight measurement by the FIA ​​showed that the difference in weight was limited to a few grams.

Despite the additional data, Mercedes does not find a quick solution to the problems of the W13

Mercedes has collected the necessary data through the sensors, but it will not provide a quick solution to the problems. Vowles: It’s not like you suddenly find something that turns everything upside down and solves it in one race. But it gives us information and knowledge about what we need to do in the future,” concludes the Mercedes CEO.