Have you ever wondered why Mercedes is so dominant in Formula One?
Well, wonder no more! Here are seven reasons why the German manufacturer has been so successful recently.
Why Is Mercedes So Dominant In F1?
1. Work Of Art
THE Mercedes-Benz F1 W06 Hybrid is designed and built to perfection and shows on the track. The reason is simple — the car is fast, reliable, and efficient.
As a result, Mercedes has won 19 out of 22 races in the 2015 season, including the constructors’ championship.
2. Reliably Fast
Mercedes is a dominant force in Formula 1 because they have arguably the fastest car and tires on the grid.
It’s not just about how fast they go in a straight line; it’s also about how they handle when things get bumpy and unpredictable.
In 2018, Mercedes had the best tire wear rates out of all of its competitors. This helped them win races when other teams would drop off at specific points during races, as their tires would last longer than those of their opponents.
This company took advantage of a broader range of tire compounds for each race — meaning they were prepared for any type of weather or terrain. Where other teams may only have one set of tires, Mercedes would have three different sets to use during the race weekend.
Although Mercedes didn’t always start from pole position, they often finished from there.
3. Development Strategy
Mercedes’ dominance is not just down to having the fastest car in the pit lane; and they also have a much more deliberate and intelligent approach to development than many other teams.
This company is renowned for relentlessly testing every aspect of its car to find any weaknesses long before they are exposed during a race weekend.
Some have criticized them for this approach, but it has paid off handsomely for Mercedes in recent years.
Moreover, they now have a virtually bulletproof car because they have found and fixed any potential problems during pre-season testing.
This intelligence also leads Mercedes to make wise decisions regarding performance upgrades throughout the year.
Mercedes researches how each upgrade will affect their car and its performance on track before committing.
This breeds an intelligent, thoughtful, and calculated approach to F1 racing that few other teams can match.
4. Experienced Line-Up
One of the first factors that Mercedes has going for them is its experienced driver lineup. The team has two drivers — Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas —at the top of their game in 2018.
While this may seem like an obvious factor, Mercedes have drafted in a driver who is excellent in qualifying and can get the car up to speed out of turn one as well as any other driver on the grid.
Lewis Hamilton also provides an incredible amount of experience to the team. He’s been racing for Mercedes since 2013, and his expertise on track shines through with every performance, helping him to get around tricky situations more quickly than most other drivers would be able to do.
In contrast, Ferrari only has one experienced race winner on their books: Kimi Raikkonen.
And while he’s been relatively consistent this year, it’s clear that he lacks the speed that Lewis Hamilton offers during races, which makes a big difference in handing out points.
Another reason why Mercedes is so dominant is that they have a stronger lead driver than Ferrari at present, and they make sure they use him wisely.
5. Tight Integration
Mercedes has tight integration with their engine supplier. The engine is the most crucial part of any race car as it’s what makes the car go.
But, when Mercedes-Benz founded its in-house team in 2010, it also established an engine supply partnership with fellow German manufacturer AMG.
Since then, the team has benefitted from a closer relationship with its engine supplier. And because Mercedes owns 50% of AMG, they can use AMG’s refreshed power unit in 2020 without having to pay for it.
The close relationship between Mercedes and AMG is one of the key factors that set them apart from other teams.
6. Sophisticated Telemetry
This is one of the most critical factors that Mercedes have gotten right. They are constantly analyzing data from their racing machines to find areas that could be improved to gain an advantage over their competitors.
This doesn’t just apply to the car’s performance but to the driver. For example, in a recent blog post, Mercedes outlined some key data points they recorded and analyzed during Lewis Hamilton’s pole lap at the French Grand Prix last year.
Hamilton set a new track record thanks to his incredible drive, but what made it even more impressive was that he did so with a damaged car. But how did Mercedes know how well he drove? They fitted an ultrasonic sensor on his steering wheel.
Using telemetry and data analysis, they could measure how much force Hamilton was applying while negotiating certain corners on the track.
7. Benefit Of Running Last
One of the key factors to Mercedes’ dominance is their strategy in the race. Most teams will secure a good qualifying position and then try to build on that during the race.
But Mercedes understands that running last means they can hide their actual pace until later in the game.
By running at the back, they avoid being caught up in first-lap collisions and can save tire wear for when it matters. Many other teams do not use this strategy, making it a compelling advantage.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on why F1 is so boring, why NASCAR is so boring, and why Mercedes are so unreliable.
Conclusion
So there you have seven reasons Mercedes is dominant in Formula One racing. The German manufacturer has worked hard to build the best car possible.
It shows in their results. With a talented driver lineup and a reliable car, it’s no wonder they’ve been so successful in recent years.