Mercedes confirm first DAS proposal was rejected by the FIA
Mercedes confirm first DAS proposal was rejected by the FIA
Mercedes technical director James Allison has revealed the FIA rejected the initial concept for the dual-axis steering [DAS] system.
In a Mercedes video, Allison has said DAS was initially designed to be controlled by a paddle on the steering wheel, but that the FIA ordered changes be made.
“The simple answer was, it was really quite difficult indeed, and in fact, we first wanted to introduce this system in 2019," said Allison.
"We took our ideas to the FIA, showed them, explained why we thought it was legal, and they begrudgingly agreed that dual-axis steering was actually legal.
"But they didn’t much like the way we’d done it because the second axis we were getting from a lever on the wheel rather than that whole-wheel movement.
“So they said, ‘No. You’re going to have to move the whole wheel in and out’. I think when they said that they were hoping that this would be too difficult and that we would go away and cause them no more problems.
“But we have a very inventive chief designer, and our chief designer John Owen took one look at that challenge, and he’s got a really good gut feel for whether something is doable or it’s not, and that’s a really helpful characteristic.
"It allows us to be quite brave spending money, when most people would feel the outcome was quite uncertain."
Owen's persistence led to the second incarnation of the device that ultimately appeared on the car in pre-season testing earlier this year.
Allison added: “John took that challenge on, reckoned he could do it, put it out to our very talented group of mechanical designers, and between them they cooked up two or three ways that it might be done.
"We picked the most likely of those three and, about a year after that, out popped the DAS system that you saw at the beginning of this season.”
Before you go...
F1 determined to spice up the show with new ideas
Button: Time for Formula 1 "to take risks"
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 Qualifying Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV
- 7 minutes ago
Horner delivers threat to Ricciardo over Red Bull pressure
- 37 minutes ago
F1 Sprint Race Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV
- 1 hour ago
Wolff left FUMING with Mercedes despite amazing Hamilton lap
- 1 hour ago
Verstappen admits Red Bull 'DESERVED' horror China qualifying
- 2 hours ago
F1 News Today: Verstappen suffers MAJOR China defeat as F1 star LOSES pole after FIA intervention
- 3 hours ago
Related news
Wolff 'p*****' by Verstappen error as star makes Mercedes debut
Hamilton to open Wolff talks at Mercedes amid Ferrari F1 move uncertainty
Mercedes announce MAJOR £5.9 million loss in profits
Verstappen admits new Mercedes relationship with F1 future update
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860