Nothing gets past the peeps on social media, with Mercedes' new W11 and its intriguing steering quirk the scrutiny of a few eagle-eyed F1 followers.
A post on Twitter showing an onboard of Lewis Hamilton heading on to the pit straight at the Circuit de Catalunya reveals a for and aft movement of the W11's steering wheel.
The wheel moves towards the driver as Hamilton accelerates on to the straight and then away again as the Briton enters the braking zone. But a closer look also reveals a slight front-wheel movement simultaneously with the for and aft change.
While many believed the quirk was perhaps the troubling result of a loose steering rack, former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestly responded to the post with the following explanation.
"So...it could be that the actual steering rack and therefore the track rods move, reducing toe-out to close to zero on the straight, which would reduce drag and improve tyre life..."
F1 techie Craig Scarborough also chimed in on the fascinating trick.
"Lots of videos now emerging of the Merc steering wheel being moved backward when joining the straight, with some apparent effect at the front wheels, then bring moved forward before braking," wrote Scarbs.
"It could be just play in the assembly. Perhaps the column also moves the steering rack. Which could alter toe angle and thus perhaps ride height, for speed on the straight? Pure conjecture at this stage.
"Wholly expect rival teams to be hopping up and down right now. The rules as published do not account for this sort of solution."
Watch this space as Mercedes' rivals will likely be all over this today, perhaps questioning the innovative system's legality.
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has insisted that the squad has no regrets about their…
On this day in 1989, Williams' Thierry Boutsen secured his second F1 win when he…
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen’s sensational Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory…
Carlos Sainz was left scratching his head after a disastrous Sunday at the Sao Paulo…
Fernando Alonso braved both physical agony and mechanical challenges in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix,…
Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…