Can't see that would work. By the time cars have gone to the grid, and then been started and completed the installation lap, any ice would have melted. There is a lot of heat in there - ice wouldn't survive for more than seconds. Also, a frozen system would lead to overheating in the ICE until water circulation started which could cook the motor. I am assuming there is only one water cooling system, not separate ones.
The Charge-Cooler operates on a completely separate cooling circuit to the engine, otherwise it would be a charge heater 
.
The heat exchanger cooling the charge-cooler water is in the left side pod of the merc and the engine radiator in the right. They are roughly the same size. The fluid temperatures in the charge-cooler are generally a lot lower the fluid in the cooling system.
The goal is to keep the temperature of the fluid flowing in the charge cooler as close to ambient (or below) as possible which is why the charge cooler heat exchanger is large.
Usually heat soak eventually drives up the temperature of the coolant, which - combined with the extra weight and plumbing - is why air to air is usually considered optimal in racing situations as airflow is not an issue.
That Merc has gone against the tide and is succeeding makes me think they may be cooling the water by other (legal) means other than just the heat exchanger.
There is usually a coolant Reservoir for the system and on drag cars it's quite common for it to be an insulated container (like an esky) filled with ice and the system filled with ice water.
If Merc were filling the system with a semi frozen 'slushie' like mixture and then had a reservoir filled with ice and cooled by Peltier panels, it might stay colder than ambient for quiet a while, and delay the increase in temperature, allowing better performance and economy early in the GP or Qualifying session.
Edited by mistareno, 12 May 2014 - 05:33.
