The start to the 2020 season may have been delayed, but ahead of it there was still plenty of technical intrigue involving F1’s top dog, Mercedes, and their rivals Red Bull.

Following the FIA’s issue of Technical Directive 014/020 before the Melbourne weekend, Mercedes were forced to make modifications to the ducting around their W11’s rear wheels.

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Technical Directives, which are documents sent to the teams but not made public, are a means for the FIA to clarify rules, while simultaneously shutting down interpretations of those rules by teams which the FIA deem outside the spirit of the regulations. The directive in Melbourne concerned the brake duct area, which has a regulation-prescribed dimensional box it must fit into.

Red Bull had queried Merc’s use of an area outside of that prescribed box – the triangular intake incorporated into the link between the upper wishbone wheelhub extension and the brake duct (see image below).