F1 | Ferrari and McLaren don’t care about Mercedes' new rear suspension
Mercedes new rear suspension has been in the spotlight after Red Bull questioned the legality of their competitors’ new component. However, neither McLaren nor Ferrari seem to be concerned with it.
Since the Russian GP, the Silver Arrows became very fast on the straights. Red Bull has questioned how their title rivals were suddenly so much better and raised concerns over Mercedes’ new rear suspension.
With only five races left and 2021 Championship still to be decided, every point counts and teams are trying everything in their power to tear each other down.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stated after the United States GP that Mercedes' system "could be quite powerful" in the remaining races of the season.
"It will have a greater influence at some tracks than others," said Horner. "It was a reduced effect here [in the United States] but somewhere like Jeddah for example, it could be quite powerful."
Red Bull Racing had the FIA investigate the rear axle of Mercedes' W12, but the governing body of Formula One found nothing wrong with it.
According to Mercedes, Red Bull could have known that the rear end collapses on the straights. "We haven't touched the rear suspension since the beginning of 2020. It was one of the parts that stayed the same with us," says someone from the German team. Each team had two tokens to put in last winter in terms of development and Mercedes used them for other parts of the car.
McLaren and Ferrari, unlike the Milton Keynes-based team, seem to be totally unconcerned with the debate.
"To be honest, I only saw yesterday I think the Sky [TV] video when the analysis was done," said Seidl after the US Grand Prix.
''We didn't spend any energy yet on this topic. We have enough to do just focusing on ourselves and executing a good race weekend.
“So let's chat a bit about it again in a week's time, once we have looked into this as a team. And if there's actually something behind it or it is just a ghost which is going through the paddock at the moment,'' the McLaren team boss concluded.
Ferrari’s team boss Mattia Binotto was of the same opinion. He admitted there was nothing too surprising about the Mercedes system, and agreed it looks legal despite the attention it was given.
"Honestly I'm not too interested in this discussion," said Binotto. "I'm not really following them, I heard about it.
"I do not see anything wrong or illegal in that. I mean I'm even not somehow surprised the way the car behaves."
