In questo periodo di quarantena e di astinenza da Formula 1 guardavo il giro pole di Hamilton in Ungheria nel 2018. Chiedo al nostro sherlok holmes @matteobobbi . È solo una illusione ottica dovuta alle gocce o tira il volante a se come con il DAS? #skymotori pic.twitter.com/t9wBX6m7Yl
— Luca Flaminio (@Luca_Flaminio) March 18, 2020
Was Hamilton already testing DAS on the track in 2018?
Now that the start of the Formula 1 season has been postponed we are left with the question of how competitive the Mercedes DAS system will be. But we may have already seen the system in action on a circuit before.
Friend and foe were surprised last winter test, when Mercedes suddenly turned up with a revolutionary system during the second day of testing: Dual Axis Steering. The system allows Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas to press a button, which then allows them to move the steering wheel forwards and backwards. This makes it possible to adjust the angle of the tyres.
It remains to be seen to what extent the DAS system will benefit Mercedes. The team claims they have been developing and testing the system for a long time. We may even have seen DAS in action on the track, during the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2018 to be precise. Has the system been on the track or is it simply a deception of sight?
Maximum one season of DAS
It remains to be seen to what extent Dual Axis Steering will be a secret weapon for Mercedes, but in any case the system will not be active in Formula 1 for long. With the new regulations, a steering wheel can only move left or right, which will make the Mercedes method illegal. In addition, Red Bull Racing has already indicated they will protest when a W11 with the system will appear on the track this season.
