Mercedes have launched an investigation into their brake discs after George Russell complained of a “warped” feeling during the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Briton was heard complaining over the team radio
about his difficulty in driving the W15 due to an unfamiliar sensation when
braking.
Mercedes launch brake disc investigation following
Brazilian GP
Mercedes director
of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin explained that the driver felt like the
brakes had “warped” and that the new surface in Sao Paulo may have been a
possible cause.
“We had issues with the brakes, and George was talking
about this,” Shovlin said. “He said it felt like the brake discs had warped.
Carbon brake discs do not warp.
“They are generally pretty planar, and you do not get
those issues. But you can get peculiar things happening on the surface that
means you have higher friction in some areas.
“That can then create a vibration, and that vibration can
be felt through the pedals. So, it may feel like the discs are not round, but
almost always when you check them, they are.
“We are not really sure why that was the case, and that
is what we are investigating now. Those brake discs have come back to the
factory, so we can have a look at them.”
Shovlin explained that another factor may have been the
temperature given the wet conditions in South America.
“One factor was they were running quite cold. This was in
the wet conditions,” he said. “There are opportunities to change the brake
ducts, but as we were into that race without any prolonged wet running, we had
to estimate where the temperatures would be.
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