“You would have to change the whole aerodynamic philosophy”: Alpha Tauri boss explains why they won’t be able to copy the Mercedes sidepod design

Alpha Tauri’s Franz Tost feels that copying the Mercedes sidepod design won’t be possible for them under the current budget constraints. 

Mercedes surprised everyone in the paddock by fielding the W13 with a very unconventional design during pre-season testing in Bahrain. Their car seemed to have ‘zero sidepods‘, which led to many questioning the legality of it’s structure.

The changes brought about were billed as ‘legendary‘. Some people even speculated that running a car of that design would earn them around a second more per lap. However on track, the car didn’t seem to perform quite as well.

The new-look @MercedesAMGF1 takes to the track 👀@LewisHamilton is sporting fluorescent accents, and redesigned sidepods 🔎#F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/wT9EGFTSPU

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 10, 2022

The other teams remain adamant that Mercedes are bluffing about their issues. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen both insist that the Silver Arrows aren’t running the W13 on full power.

Come the first race of the season in Sakhir next Sunday, the extent of Mercedes’ ‘issues’ will be on display for the entire world.

Meanwhile, Alpha Tauri’s team principal Franz Tost was impressed by the aero-changes brought about by the German outfit. However, if Mercedes decide to use the very same design for the opening race, the others won’t be allowed to copy it.

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Copying the Mercedes design would require building a completely new car, says Tost

When asked if the rival teams could work on emulating Mercedes’ sidepod design, Tost clearly said no. He went on to say that the changes were not just to the W13’s side-pod, but to the entire car as a whole.

Moreover, the budget cap of $140 million means they won’t be able to spend resources on a completely new car.

“It’s not just the sidepods,” he said. “That’s only one part of it. If you had to change something, you would have to change the whole aerodynamic philosophy.”

What Redbull sees when they see the Mercedes upgraded sidepods. pic.twitter.com/2aaOZJGKMu

— Shirley 💜 (@blasiansachi) March 10, 2022

“I don’t think we could make the effort because if you look at the cost cap, we are pretty much at the limit in our calculation at the end of the season.”

“I don’t think we could make the effort to build a completely new car,” Tost concluded.

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