What do you think about the 18-inch wheels on the Mercedes?
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
Yesterday, George Russell completed over 100 laps for Mercedes at the Yas Marina Circuit on the 18-inch wheels that are set to be introduced in the 2021 season. Five inches bigger than the current 13-inch wheels, the wheels are way more prominent on the car.
The first thing that stands out in the design is the choice of black rims. Other teams who have tested on the 18-inch wheels all tested with black rims as well. Not that this is uncommon with current rim design, but it stands out more with the bigger size.
It'll be interesting to see whether teams will follow this example or whether we'll see the more traditional silver wheels on other constructors. Or some other colours, maybe?
F1 car + 18-inch tyres at Yas Marina today #F1 @pirellisport @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/JqcaX6IzIW
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 9, 2019
On the current cars, black sure does look good. However, because the new compounds will not be introduced until the 2021 season, we won't be able to judge the full picture until then.