Mercedes unveiled a new side pod for the 2023 Spanish GP, that was inspired by Red Bull’s design. However, Toto Wolff claims the latest piece of information on Red Bull’s assets is not valuable for the Silver Arrows.
Mercedes received a sneak peek of the RB19’s extremely well-designed floor during the 2023 Monaco GP. Both James Allison and Lewis Hamilton showed their excitement at the latest revelation.
The change in concept is paying its dividends for Mercedes who suffered a dismal start. Yet, the team remains hesitant to adopt a floor based on Red Bull’s genius design.
Why Toto Wolff says Mercedes won’t adopt a Red Bull-like floor?
Despite having clear images of Red Bull’s floor, Mercedes won’t be utilizing it on the W14 claims Toto Wolff. The Mercedes team principal reveals the engineers at Brackley conducted tests to see if the floor will boost the car’s speed or downforce.
He told PitDebrief, “For me, if it’s complex or not if it is fast, it is good. I asked the question to my engineering group and they said there are interesting things they can analyze as part of the air-flow functions.”
While Wolff states the floor is “certainly very fast,” the Silver Arrows were not impressed. He added, “They weren’t convinced about the beauty, the aesthetics of the flow, and just how it functions.”
The Austrian says his team has been experimenting with the W14’s design after the rocky start to the season. However, the team has found its direction after a successful weekend in Barcelona.
Why did Mercedes ditch the zero side pod concepts?
Mercedes had adopted an innovative zero side pod design for the 2023 car. The design caught attention initially, but it caused a lot of issues in the car’s aerodynamic performance. The Silver Arrows abandoned the concept and unveiled side pods similar to Red Bull ahead of the 2023 Monaco GP.
Toto Wolff said ahead of the Monaco GP, that any new upgrade Mercedes will introduce won’t be “a silver bullet.” However, their newly introduced side pods have done the trick for the team.
The team secured its first double podium of the year in Barcelona. It has also improved the W14’s handling and downforce, two areas that Lewis Hamilton claimed to be causing trouble.
George Russell told Sky Sports after the Spanish GP, “It’s not the side pods that made the difference. It may be a factor, but the magic isn’t in the side pods.” He added, “The magic was done underneath the car, on the floor. That’s the same for every single team.”
This means the Silver Arrows have tweaked their floor to work in tandem with their new concept. The team has also added a new suspension and will be bringing upgrades for the upcoming race in Canada. However, the long straights and low-speed corners of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve do not seem to favor the strengths of the W14.
