The W11 has a system which Mercedes have developed called Dual Axis Steering which allows the driver to adjust the toe of the front wheels to optimise mechanical grip by pulling or pushing on the steering wheel. DAS will allow the drivers to warm the car's tyres more efficiently by having a zero toe but allows for better cornering ability by using a positive toe, a feature which will be of particular significance on circuits with long straights. DAS will be removed from the car after the 2020 championship as the system will be banned for 2021. Following the postponement of the season and the growing worldwide support for the Black Lives Matter movement, it was announced in late June the W11 would feature black as the primary colour instead of the traditional silver that was present on its predecessors.
Season summary
At the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix, Bottas qualified on pole position. Hamilton initially qualified in second place but prior to the race, he received a three-place grid penalty for failing to slow down sufficently for yellow flags at the end of qualifying, dropping him to fifth. Despite both drivers having to deal with gearbox issues which developed during the race, Bottas went on the win the race, the eighth of his career. Hamilton quickly recovered to second place but in the closing laps of the race received a five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Alexander Albon. Hamilton crossed the finish line in second but the penalty demoted him to fourth place. Hamilton took pole position at the rain-affected qualifying session for the, over 1.2 seconds clear of nearest rival Max Verstappen. Hamilton led most of the race and took the W11's second consecutive victory, whilst Bottas overtook Verstappen in the closing laps to finish second, having started fourth on the grid. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, the pace of the W11 was very apparent when Mercedes easily took a 1-2 in qualifying when Bottas took second by nearly a 0.9 seconds over third-placed Lance Stroll. Hamilton qualified on pole, 0.1 seconds ahead of Bottas. Hamilton would go on to win the race for his second consecutive win and his eighth win at the Hungaroring equalling the record for most wins at one venue. Bottas made a mistake at the start when he moved slightly just before the lights went out then stopped his car and got away slowly, falling to sixth by turn one. He avoided a penalty for a jump start and managed to recover to third place, finishing just behind second-placed Max Verstappen. At the British Grand Prix, Hamilton led Mercedes to another front-row lockout by taking his third consecutive pole position over Bottas by over 0.3 seconds. Bottas took second by over 0.7 seconds over Verstappen who qualified in third.
