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The trick simulator keeping Mercedes ahead of the game

One of the keys to Mercedes' incredible run of success is its ability to maximise the potential of its cars at any given race weekend - and the simulator plays a major role in that. STUART CODLING investigates the secret weapon that Ferrari, among others, is desperate to replicate

As the last rays of sun bathe Yas Marina on Friday at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it's a chilly winter midday in Brackley as F1 Racing enters the Mercedes F1 facility. For its newly announced reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne, it's merely another shift in the simulator that will play an essential role in Mercedes' race effort.

Only the sign outside distinguishes the simulator building from those around it. Upstairs there's a swathe of grey carpet, grey sofas, and three rows of desks with computer screens and intercoms.

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