Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid - The Ultimate Champion
After having a fantastic season of 2015, the Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid was established as one of the most dominant cars in the history of Formula 1.
Evolved version of its predecessor
Mercedes dominated in 2014 Formula 1 World Championship with the W05 and continued its supremacy with the W06, designed by Paddy Lowe (Executive Technical Director), Aldo Costa (Engineering Director), and Geoffrey Willis (Technology Director). The new car was quite similar to its predecessor, so it is fair to say that the W06 was just an evolution of its predecessor. The most notable changes were seen on the nose and front wings.
The Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid was unveiled at Jerez Circuit
The car was launched in February of 2015 at Jerez Circuit and drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg stated that it is equivalent to the car from the previous season. On the other side, technical department and engineers. Team chief Toto Wolff said that a lot of things have been put in place while Paddy Lowe commented there have been a raft of invisible developments from both a chassis and power unit perspective – all aimed at creating a car that is safer, more efficient, more reliable and ultimately faster.
Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid set many new records in 2015 Formula 1 season
Over the season the Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid was modified several times in various aspects, depending on the circuit. All of those modifications made the car even more superior to the rest of the grid so it wasn’t a surprise that the FW06 set many new records which all be broken in the following year by the Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid.
Mercedes AMG was dominant in 2015 Formula 1 championships
The team collected a record number of 703 points out of a possible 817. They lost just 114 points across the whole season (earning 86.0% of points available). Both cars finished on the podium in 9 consecutive races, matching the record held by Ferrari in early 1950s. In the 19 races, the F1 W06 Hybrid took 16 wins (10 for Hamilton and 6 for Rosberg), 18 pole positions (11 for Hamilton and 7 for Rosberg), 13 fastest laps (8 for Hamilton and 5 for Rosberg), 15 front row lockouts and 12 1–2 finishes. The car recorded just two retirements, one by each driver.
Hamilton won his third title, Rosberg was a runner-up
Hamilton secured his third championship title with three races to go, while Rosberg finished the season as a runner-up. Interestingly, Rosberg won the last three rounds of the season while his teammate finished 2nd in each. The only races not won by Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid were in Malaysia, Hungary, and Singapore.
Lewis Hamilton and Merecdes celebrating the 2015 titles
Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid technical specifications
| Overall Length | 5.000 mm |
| Overall Width | 1.800 mm |
| Overall Height | 950 mm |
| Overall Weight | 702 kg |
| Chassis | Moulded carbon fiber and honeycomb monocoque |
| Front suspension | Carbon fiber wishbone and pushrod activated torsion springs and rockers |
| Rear suspension | Carbon fiber wishbone and pullrod activated torsion springs and rockers |
| Engine | Mercedes-Benz PU106B 90º V6, 1.600 cc, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted |
| Power | 600 bhp / 448 kW |
| Gearbox | 8-speed forward, one reverse, Sequential, semi-automatic |
| Brakes | Carbon discs and pads with rear brake-by-wire |
| Tires | Pirelli |
| Fuel | Petronas Primax |
Video – Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid at Silverstone
Photo: soulsteer.com, eblog.mercedes-benz-passion.com, formula1.wordpress.com, browsetechnology.com
