Mercedes continues to push out aerodynamic F1 designs to reign in the brand's success as it slowly creeps up with its commitment to improving previous design models.

Now, the buzz is all about the brand-new feature that the company is using to compete with other brands, like Honda and Ferrari: new serrated windscreens.
Here are all the details on the current serrated windscreen designs and why other brands can't match this F1 advancement.

What's Different?

There is no guaranteed way to win an F1 race. Winning comes down to a precise calculation between elements of the car and the engine. Even the tiniest of features could add or lose time to a driver's race. So, performance is the top priority for every driver.

Mercedes had this in mind when they released a glimpse of the W12 online. Upon closer look, the video revealed an interesting new mod to the wing mirror mounts that are intended to help the movement of air over the car.

The mirror mounts are skewed with a longer tail and a serrated upper edge to continue building on their previous work to improve aerodynamics.

This isn't the first time Mercedes has used a serrated windshield, but the team has improved the design of previous models through years of trial and error.

What Are the Advantages?

The serrated windscreen used by Mercedes reduces the buffeting on the driver's helmet when driving at high speeds. This has been implemented for years but has gone through many design changes.

Serrated strips have also been added to the trailing edge of W06's front wing as a way to improve the functionality of the first and second flaps of its rear wing.

Where Have We Seen it Before?

The same performance enhancer was adapted for the W07. A serrated windscreen was added to the trailing edge of the mainplane to improve the wing and DRS.

The W10 and W11 also experienced their own design changes. They were both redesigned with a DRS actuator pod that has a serrated trailing edge, similar to serrations found on jet engines. The serrations provide an aerodynamic effect that enhances the wing in the back.

Mercedes also introduced a major upgrade at the German GP in 2019 where a serration was added to the rear corner cut out of the F1 W10. This prevents the vortex often created at the wig tip that increases the downforce and reduces drag.

Why It's Better Than Other Brands

At the start of 2016, Ferrari unveiled what they called the "halo" head protection system. This was designed with two bars that circled the helmet of the driver that resembled the splitting from the "thong" of a flip-flop.

Although the design was considered effective at blocking dangerous debris that was hurled toward drivers during races, the drivers were not impressed. Lewis Hamilton took to Instagram later that year to express his distaste for the halo, claiming it was "the worst looking mod in Formula 1 history".

Later in the year, Red Bull created its version of an external head protection device for drivers, which was nicknamed the "aeroscreen" ahead of the Russian Grand Prix that was hosted in Sochi.

This is similar to an enveloping windshield that replaced the halo's bars with a circular, upper-girding and glass. This was a major improvement from Ferrari's "halo" just in time for the new requirement implemented in 2017 for all F1 cars to have similar protective gear.

This was a new element drivers had to consider when calculating performance, safety, and looks. Fans didn't approve, as drivers had to find new ways to reach record-breaking speeds with this safety feature that would ultimately slow them down during races.

Conclusion

Mercedes impressed earlier this year with the release of the W12 featuring Valtteri Bottas getting a seat fit. Only time will tell what other improvements Mercedes will come up with to continue improving the performance of their cars.