Mercedes Resolves Critical Torque Sensor Issues Ahead of Rolex 24
Mercedes-AMG has resolved initial torque sensor integration challenges ahead of the Rolex 24, following extensive testing and software updates.
Race car driver in cockpit
The company faced communication issues between its ECU and IMSA-supplied ECU during initial testing, which affected power output control through the sensors. Despite missing IMSA's Daytona test in November, Mercedes conducted private testing at DIS in December and completed additional testing at Portimao and Paul Ricard.
Stefan Wendl, Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing boss, explained that the complexity of modern race cars required a complete software and hardware network setup during an actual race weekend for proper testing. The main challenge was integrating the car's systems with IMSA's logging system and official timing.
The breakthrough came when Mercedes-AMG's development team in Germany worked overnight to implement a firmware update, successfully routing the program to accept data input correctly. The system has been functioning properly since Saturday morning, allowing teams to collect data and establish baseline setups.
While the technical issues have been resolved, Wendl remains cautious about the team's prospects for defending their Rolex 24 GTD crown. The lack of experience with the new system puts them at a slight disadvantage, though they remain determined to compete for victory.
The teams are now sharing experiences and learning from each other as they adapt to the new system, with Free Practice 1 showing promising results for the five AMG GT3 EVOs in the field.