Mercedes' DAS system was a hot topic in Formula 1, especially last week. Now that the mechanism has been definitively approved for this season, the controversy is gone. Still it remains a bit mysterious what Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas use it for.
At least not in the rain, if we're to believe Toto Wolff. "I don't think we used DAS in any of the laps. But tyre temperatures certainly play a role. You could see at the last time waiting for the traffic light that some teams had very hot tires that were steaming, and others not," he says to Motorsport-Total.com.
Setup for tire temperature adjustment more important
Wolff thus indirectly admits that the DAS system could be used to regulate the tyre temperature. However, there are other, much more effective ways for teams to heat the tyres. According to Wolff, this became apparent when the drivers drove outside before Q3.
"I suspect it's more about the setup, how to get the tyres themselves into the right temperature window during the session. If not, you lack grip," explains the Mercedes team boss. "If the tires are too hot, you're on the other side of the spectrum. This is just as counterproductive."