One of the defining stories of this 2013 F1 season has been the rise of Mercedes and the way they not only grabbed pole position in eight of the first 12 qualifying sessions (by getting the most out of the Pirelli tyres), but also got on top of heavy tyre wear issues in races to allow Rosberg to win twice and Hamilton once. Analysis by former Williams chief engineer and JA on F1 technical adviser Mark Gillan of photos of Mercedes wheels, taken by leading F1 photographer Russell Batchelor of XPB Images, shows the complex internal design which Mercedes has evolved to master thermal management of the tyre. It is F1 innovation in action. Mercedes’ steady improvement in tyre management in races has not happened without controversy, as they took part in a 1,000 Pirelli test in May which landed them in the FIA International Tribunal, where they were found to have breached the Sporting Regulations, but the Tribunal found that the breach had been made in “good faith” based on co