Mercedes has revealed how it prepares its drivers to face neutralization situations during races, using a system of secret codes that played a key role in Kimi Antonelli’s victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The track engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, explained how the team uses these codes to guide the drivers during critical moments. Antonelli, upon receiving the yellow flag alert for Lance Stroll’s emergency stop, significantly reduced speed in turns 18 to 20, losing more time than other competitors, including the race leader, Lando Norris.
In addition to decreasing his speed, Antonelli also delayed lifting his foot off the accelerator in the next sector, where the green flags had already been raised. After the race, he commented that his race engineer, Peter Bonnington, had warned him about the possibility of a VSC, which motivated the decision to brake to be ready to enter the pits.
In an episode of the NU Silver Arrows Radio Show, Shovlin explained that secret codes are changed every week to keep their function hidden from other teams. “We will use secret codes to indicate to the drivers if they can take advantage of a Safety Car during the race, but we strive not to let other teams know what they are,” he said.
Antonelli’s maneuver was not straightforward. When he entered the pits, the tires were arriving just as he was stopping, making his stop complicated. There were only 35 seconds between the yellow flags being waved and the implementation of the VSC, with only 15 seconds between the VSC call and when Antonelli reached his pit.
Mercedes showed a quick reaction by having both sets of tires ready for Antonelli and his teammate, George Russell. Shovlin added that it is common for teams to meet with the drivers on Sunday morning to review race strategies and prepare for scenarios like accidents or the emergence of a VSC.
Finally, Shovlin emphasized the importance of a clear decision-making process to execute these plans quickly. “There is a plan, but sometimes there is a debate about whether it is better to do this or that. In this case, Kimi knew he was in the window for a VSC, and Bono confirmed it as soon as the incident occurred,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_27f8545c8d2f0f900a2f4abf15c593863bc9c948