Mercedes announced a new partner in INEOS ahead of the 2020 F1 season (Getty)
Formula One is a sport that is littered with technological inventions, something that top teams, such as Mercedes, often produce.
We have had six-wheeled cars in the past, weird-looking noses (BMW Williams) and horns on the nose too, but Mercedes took it to another level on the second day of the 2020 pre-season test.
Eagle-eyed cameras and F1 fans saw Lewis Hamilton flick his steering wheel up and down as he reached a corner in Barcelona.
The front wheels also seemed to move when the racer flicked the steering wheel, and F1 later explained how this was helping the toe-out and toe-in and alignment while taking corners.
Basically, this helped reduce the wear of the tyres when taking turns and allowed some sections of the tyres a break when speeding in a straight-line.
The effective heat and wear distribution around the tyre would increase its performance, and any slight advantage is a huge boost in the F1 grid.
“If the Mercedes mechanism works as assumed, the tyres will be heated more evenly across their width as they run fully upright, but the benefits of toe-out can still be deployed into the corner. It will be of particular benefit on circuits with long straights.”
An F1 analysis also added that the technology seems to be a mechanical device and isn’t automatic, so the driver is in control.
It will be interesting to see how this system develops in the coming days of testing. The Silver Arrows were the leading cars and they have insisted that the new technology is legal and safe.
Many teams have tried different moves in the past but have fallen foul of the FIA. Some fans were not impressed with Mercedes finding something extra in the rules and regulations, and wanted a ban on the technology going into the new season.
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