[Monster Hesh]

1100 bhp, daaaamn, I read it was 1000 hp. I think that was about this years dyno tests, can't 'member actually.

Unless the Mercs philosophy hasn't change, design for 80%, its still all engine, engine, engine, engine. Yas Marina last year prooved the Merc engine has the reliability already for three engine limit. Bottas was on quite an old engine and that car had insane speed. They really don't need to dial much out of the 2017 car, to get the softer tyres working,, Lewis was already full of praise for the hyresoft. So Mercedes could be all set.

The rear of the car in very tight, from what I can see in the darkened launch video. Ill stay frosty for images.

[morini]

Not convinced Hesh. I think Merc could struggle this year, unless they are doing a major sandbagging offensive.

[Jody Barton]

I too am not convinced Morini. True it looks shorter, true it is tighter packed at the rear, but I'm not convinced. As to the bhp rumours, Merc were consistently hitting 989Bhp last year with the 2017 PU, but at this stage adding another 100bhp seems like a pretty big ask. But I've read comments a few places that are claiming that's what they've done. Then you hear the RB comments about hearing Mercedes have made another step gain and that their advantage could be even bigger this year... but that car still looks like it has the fundamental issues last year's car had.

[Monster Hesh]

https://www.f1technical.net/gallery/2018...w09-launch

Its got the cutest lower T-wing/monkey seat hyrbid. Something we didn't expect from top teams?

A very large area on the shark fin, that shows the tight packaging.

Its just last years nose, isnt it? Same underscoop at the front.

There's a huge floor surface area.

Apparently according to Toto, wheelbase unchanged. Only from one german source, so I'll wait for more confirmation on this.


Wonder if Iman has the same take on this as he does the Renault, ignore analysing it because its just not their car....oooo the speculation, 5 days to day 1 of testing.

[morini]

Another quote from the site I love to hate

"In addition to a tightly-packaged rear, the W09 features a slightly higher rake than last year, a change that could help the team cure some of the deficiencies last year's W08 had on certain circuits."

Ummmm...., Not sure about that. Needs to be more extreme.

But the rear is tight, has to be said.

[Jody Barton]

I can confirm... the rake on show after having a side on shot is actually 1.48 degrees. That's up from last season quite a bit. Not quite hitting the heights of RBR and McLaren, but yeah, it is up.

[morini]

Let's hope it does the job. I wouldn't mind seeing the RBR challenge this year, but I'm no Ferrari fan. A 5 or 6 driver battle is what we need (with Ferrari losing)

[PapaofGags]

"I can confirm... the rake on show after having a side on shot is actually 1.48 degrees. That's up from last season quite a bit. Not quite hitting the heights of RBR and McLaren, but yeah, it is up."

Quite impressive of you to shout this out half way through last season, kudos Jody.

[Jody Barton]

Well I might stand to be corrected, a friend who is better at the photoshop-fu is telling me the rake is actually 1.54 degrees, he's measuirng from the front scratch plate where as I'm measuring from the front wing, that puts it around the Ferrari levels. He also reckons that Toto is a liar, he's said the car is 5cm shorter. I'm trying to verify that myself now, I think it's shorter, but as much as 5cm? I'm not so sure about that.

---

Well I'll be damned, he is right I think, obviously not super duper accurate as these things never are, but yeah, I think the Merc is between 3cm to 4cm shorter.

[morini]

It really doesn't look it in the early pictures. I'll reserve judgment until I get to see a decent sized image after I leave the office.