In the second session of the pre-season testing in Bahrain, Mercedes’ George Russell triggered Red Flag when he came to a complete halt. The Briton suffered a hydraulic issue and got stuck in 4th gear following which he had to step out of the W14.
The W14 had to be lifted out of the track and in doing so, the Mercedes crew covered their car with a black sheet.
Many fans wonder why the teams do so. It is a common practice in F1 since the teams do not want to reveal the floor of their car to their competitors.
The floor of an F1 car can give a detailed insight into the design of the car. If the car gets lifted off the track without cover, the opponent teams can use the opportunity to photograph the parts and use it to their advantage.
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Why is covering the floor essential during F1 testing?
Pre-season testing is a time for the teams to iron out the major changes in their cars before the start of the new championship season. The teams run multiple setups and figure out the best one to get an advantage over their competitors for the upcoming season.
So for Mercedes covering the floor during this stage was especially crucial. Since all the teams are running different things on their car, giving away a look at the floor would have become quite hefty for the Silver Arrows.
The competitors could have gotten an idea of how the Silver arrows are preparing for the season and that obviously would have turned into a disadvantage. The Mercedes F1 team have already been at a disadvantage with the problem child of the 2022 season – W13.
🚩 RED FLAG 🚩
The Mercedes of George Russell has stopped out on track #F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/55CrOcGtm8
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 24, 2023
George Russell is not sure about competing against Red Bull and Ferrari
Mercedes have been off pace during the 2 days of testing in Bahrain. Even though it seems like the team has found a solution to their problems, so far, Red Bull and Ferrari have been quite dominant on the track.
Russell who would be racing his second year with the German manufacturer admits that he does not expect the Silver Arrows to be ready for a battle in the opening race in Bahrain.
The first race of the 2023 season is set to take place on the 5th of march at the Bahrain International Circuit.
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