2 weeks Ago By Sam Cooper
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 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. ‘I f***ing said it!’ – Mercedes quizzed on crucial George Russell strategy call Mercedes drop major Valtteri Bottas hint ahead of expected return “It may be that those very cold temperatures on the carbon was causing an issue, so we will look at that. But in the dry, they were absolutely fine.
There is a bit for us to investigate and understand.” Mercedes can at least take comfort in knowing they were not the only ones to suffer from such difficulties and heard other drivers complaining over the radio. “Hearing other drivers’ comments, we were not the only ones who were struggling with either brake vibration or grabbing and George felt that it was costing him two, maybe even three tenths a lap, just from that uncertainty of whether or not they are going to lock or whether they are going to vibrate going into the big braking zones.
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