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The British-based team said in a preview for
Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix that, with nothing at stake, they
could afford to become "a little bolder" and experiment in
Friday practice.
The experiments could also be carried over into the race for
newly-crowned four times world champion Lewis Hamilton and team
mate Valtteri Bottas.
"These two final weekends are not only an opportunity to test
new parts, but also allow experiments for those tasks that the
team simply doesn't have the opportunity to complete during a
normal race weekend," said Mercedes.
"The team will have an intense program on the next two Fridays
in Brazil and Abu Dhabi to make the absolute most of the
opportunities that have been afforded by early title success."
Mercedes won the constructors' championship for the fourth year
in a row in Texas last month while Hamilton, now Britain's most
successful driver of all time, took his fourth title in Mexico.
Mercedes said they would be using prominent aerodynamic devices,
of the type usually seen in pre-season testing and which carry
extra weight, in Friday practice.
They will also test some new pit-stop equipment and techniques
in live conditions for the first time.
Team boss Toto Wolff said there would be no easing up when it
came to racing, however.
"Inside the team, we are looking at the next two race weekends
as the first two grands prix of 2018," said the Austrian. "We
have two races that we are determined to win in order to take
that positive momentum into the winter.
"Every time we race, we race to win. That is the mind set we
take to Sao Paulo."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ken Ferris)
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