Valtteri Bottas says the Dual Axis Steering system Mercedes has pioneered on its W11 will give the team a performance advantage in certain circumstances.
[f1tv2020testa]The team ran the system, which allows the drivers to adjust the toe angle of the front wheels, during the last two days of this week’s test. Bottas, who ended this week’s first test with the fastest time, praised the team’s effort in developing the unique innovation.
“Obviously it’s very nice to be on the team running that kind of system,” he said. “I think it tells something about the great minds our team has. For sure it’s not an easy thing to start making and designing and then actually to make it work as it is now.
“We’re still learning about the system and the potential. I think in some kind of circumstances it can to be pretty good.
“But then we’ll be shown later on in the year in different conditions, different tracks, how it can help us, if it can. It’s quite impressive but it works all fine.”
Some of the team’s rivals, including Ferrari, are weighing up whether to develop a similar system of their own. Bottas revealed Mercedes has been working on DAS since early last year.
“I’ve been aware of it for quite a long time,” he said. “It’s not a quick project. I think the first time I heard something about it was nearly one year ago.”
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2020 F1 season
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Dick Ansell
21st February 2020, 19:04
FIA = Frustrate Innovation Always
Or so it would seem. Here is a system that does benefit F1 cars in general, and may increase safety, allowing greater control by the driver. Keeping the tyres in better shape/temperature range as well as improving cornering and possibly reducing scrub on the straights. Of course all new controls equally allow the driver to screw things up in new ways.
If development were free, limited only by the budget cap then obviously the toe in/out angle could become automatic. Indeed one can envisage a mechanically active version operated only by the lateral force on the front suspension.
I still rue the banning of the tuned mass damper, a brilliant device.
Destian
21st February 2020, 20:32
Bottas I will bet in you yet again.
frood19 (@frood19)
22nd February 2020, 8:45
I guess the big advantage is that it allows them to run a higher degree of toe-out without suffering the straight-line consequences.