Mercedes clinched the Constructors’ Championship last year with Lewis Hamilton taking the world title and Valterri Bottas finishing in third place.
A notable feature of the 2017-winning car was its long wheelbase which the team has decided to retain for the new season.
Mercedes technical director James Allison thinks this consistent approach will yield instant results on the track for both their drivers.
And the team’s decision not to spend in that area has enabled them to address other teething issues over the winter such as the rake of the car.
“The long wheelbase is something we decided very early on was an asset to us, and I’m pretty sure we’re still right on that,” Allison said.
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“It’s much, much easier having a decision like that under your belt because then you’re not running two wind-tunnel programmes with two wheelbases, two models, two different things.
“You can be pretty certain the gains you got last year will be inherited by the car this year.
“If you’re pretty sure the wheelbase is an asset, then carrying it over is an absolute no-brainer.
“The rake of the car is just a thing you work on all the time.
“We try to make the mechanical grip part of our suspension work nicely with the aerodynamic package that the aero guys work on.
“The peak rear downforce moves up a little bit for this year’s car.
“But we certainly won’t be in the sort of rake territory that we saw the Red Bulls and co in last year.”