Although Mercedes suffered more, Hamilton and Russell support the cancellation

F1 2023 Italy: Although Mercedes suffers more, Hamilton and Russell support the cancellation

Thursday, 18/05/2023 00:18 WIB

mobilinanews (England) – The Mercedes team must accept the truth. The technical development, which has been paid in installments since the last two months, apparently could not be tested at the Imola Circuit as planned.

Because it fell during winter testing and the Bahrain GP, ​​Mercedes responded immediately by changing the W14 development concept that was produced by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

At the time Team Principal Toto Wolff and Mercedes Technical Director Andrew Shovlin would make major changes to the W14 which were developed in stages.

It was later discovered that major changes involved the front suspension, sidepods, car floor and aerodynamic components.

The team went through a lengthy process in a wind tunnel and simulator to complete the upgrade mission.

“This new package will be completed and the first tests will be held in Imola,” said Shovlin.

Imola was chosen because this is the traditional track that started the motor racing series in Europe, where most of them are traditional tracks. With three practice sessions, three qualifying stages, the Emilia Romagna GP is considered the best for testing The New W14 with a race time of 63 laps around 19 corners.

“The new W14 version makes its debut at Imola. This not only determines the remaining race stages in 2023 but also relates to the preparations for the 2024 season,” continued Shovlin.

Unfortunately, the Emilia Romagna GP has been officially canceled by the FIA ​​due to flooding and landslides in the area, as well as flooding in Imola.

Mercedes had no choice but to reschedule its next development program. Because the next F1 race takes place on the track in the city of Monaco, the series of Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ is an option, although Mercedes has to change some additional things because the circuit behavior is different from Imola.

It’s no secret that Hamilton and Russell can’t wait to test the new W14 at Imola. This is a boost for them, especially for Hamilton to test his mettle against the Red Bull team for the remainder of 2023.

Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by the cancellation of the Imola series. However, the two British drivers admitted that they did not need to be disappointed because the cancellation was related to the safety of many people.

“This is a disaster. Rescue teams are working. Safety is the first priority,” Hamilton said on his Instagram account.

Russell personally and as Chairman of the F1 Drivers’ Association considers the cancellation to be very appropriate. It is not only the safety of the F1 community, but it is also important to save the residents of Emilia Romagna who were affected by floods and landslides in several areas.

Other drivers who agreed to cancel the Imola series were Red Bull team duo Max Verstapoen and Sergio Perez and Lando Norris (McLaren).

Italy-based team Ferrari and AlphaTauri, as well as teams Haas and Alfa Romeo also supported the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The reason is the same, safety above all.

To date, floods are still occurring in several cities. From the pictures circulating, it can be seen that officials were busy evacuating residents in rubber boats. On the other hand, the Imola Circuit has been declared closed until an unspecified time limit. (rn)

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