How much did controversial wheels help Mercedes?
Mercedes hasn't run its innovative but controversial wheel rim spacers for the past two races. Is that why it has struggled, and what benefit did it get from the design before that? Our expert ex-F1 designer answers this question and more.
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Do you believe the Mercedes wheel rims, which haven't been used in the past two races, have had an impact on its tyre troubles - and can you explain the reason that Mercedes introduced this design?
Javier Marquez, via email
I suppose the big question is why would Mercedes have done it if it didn't have an influence?
Managing the tyre temperatures for both one lap in qualifying and over the full race is not easy. You want the tyres, especially the fronts, to warm up quickly for a qualifying lap, and over a race distance you want the rears in particular not to overheat.
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