Mercedes will get a head start on 2018 by testing new parts and devices at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Having already sealed the 2017 constructors’ and drivers’ championships, team boss Toto Wolff said Mercedes will use the final two weekends of the season “as the first two Grands Prix of 2018”.
“The final two Grands Prix present the first two test opportunities ahead of the new season, trialing new and interesting concepts that the competitive landscape on track simply didn’t allow for earlier in the year,” he said.
“[We] will be running a series of experiments over the final two Fridays – with the option for a race day too, if the team feels that the risk connected with any idea is manageable and there is valuable learning for 2018 and beyond.”
Mercedes is expected to test aerodynamic instrumentation devices during Friday practice and new pit stop equipment.
It’s a position most other teams don’t find themselves in. While Ferrari is comfortably ahead of Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, Sebastian Vettel is still in a fight with Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in the drivers’ competition.
Further back, the midfield battle is still unresolved. Toro Rosso, Renault, and Haas all within six points of one another.
