“We were wrong” – Mercedes admit their W13 disappointment in Saudi Arabia and how the team is ready with a new rear wing for Australia

Mercedes admit their mistake in Saudi Arabia and are set to race with a brand new rear wing for the struggling W13 in Australia.

With the new regulations coming in, Mercedes were looking for strong favourites to win the constructors championship. However, after eight world titles in a row, the team has had a rough start in 2022.

Ferrari leads the constructor’s championship with 78 points. The Brackley-based team is just 1 point ahead of Red Bull with 38 points, despite Red Bull’s double retirement in Bahrain.

It is clearly visible that Mercedes are nowhere close to Ferrari and Red Bull in terms of pace. They are currently competing with Haas and Alfa Romeo in the midfield order.

Porpoising issues

Lewis Hamilton failed to go over Q1 in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying. Much to the team’s disappointment, they finished a mere fifth and tenth place.

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Porpoising remains a great threat for Mercedes. Speaking with the media, an engineer from Mercedes explained the team’s setup in Saudi Arabia.

“We expected to bounce less because the Jeddah circuit is much smoother. However, we were wrong,” he said.

“We still don’t understand how this phenomenon (porpoising) starts. We keep learning,” he concluded discussing Mercedes’ issues.

Mercedes to bring in a new rear wing at Albert Park

Many experts have suspected that the rear wing and engine are the biggest issues of W13. Russell and Hamilton have lost tenths of seconds. However, as per Mercedes, it has a lot to do with air resistance.

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Mercedes are suspected to be coming out with a new rear wing in Australia. If the rear wing can help solve the team’s problem, we can Hamilton and Russell compete against Ferrari and Red Bull. However, this will also clarify if the engine can compete with the top teams as well.

The German team is ready with a plan and is moving ahead, let us wait and watch on 8th April at Albert Park.