Formula 1: Were Mercedes using DAS in 2018?

Mercedes

Were Mercedes using DAS in 2018?

An optical illusion or were Mercedes using DAS at Hungary in 2018?

Sam Hall

Sunday 22 March 2020 15:00

Onboard footage of Lewis Hamilton qualifying for the 2018 Hungarian Grand Prix appears to show Dual-Axis Steering in use, but is it simply an optical illusion caused by water on the camera?

Footage uploaded to Twitter by @Luca_Flaminio shows Hamilton exiting the final corner to start his qualifying lap and, as he crosses the line, he appears to draw the steering wheel towards him.

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

The footage has split fans right down the middle between those who think that DAS was being used, and those who feel this was an optical illusion caused by water on the camera.

If DAS was in play, this would have made sense to be used in the wet and only on the hot lap in qualifying. Retaining heat on wet weather tyres is extremely difficult and one of the benefits of DAS is that the increased toe angle would aid heat generation and heat retention.

Given that these tyres would not have been used again across the weekend, overheating would not have been a problem either, so it is conceivable, or even logical, that, if the system did exist, it would have been deployed in this instance.

Official footage of Hamilton's pole lap does nothing to clear up the debate. An optical illusion or DAS in action? You decide.