© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
After Mercedes adopted sidepods that look somewhat similar to Red Bull’s, Max Verstappen said his team’s “next upgrade will be with no sidepods, then everyone can go back”.
Mercedes’ latest upgrade for the W14 made the car’s sidepods look more conventional, especially when compared to their old ‘zero sidepods’ concept.
Although the team said on numerous occasions that the sidepods are not what impacts the car’s performance the most, it is the biggest change that observers can easily spot.
Many have noted that the new design is now closer to the one Red Bull has used since 2022, so when Max Verstappen was asked about this, he decided to take a dig at Mercedes.
“I think our next upgrade will be with no sidepods, then everyone can go back,” the Dutch driver joked.
If you like SilverArrows.Net, consider supporting us by buying us a coffee!
“But it’s not only the sideboards, it’s a lot of things [which] have come together.
“We learned a lot over the years, and now, with the new regulations, we hit the ground running and understood what was going on.
“That helps a lot. Hopefully, we can keep [the] momentum going as everyone is pushing very hard to catch up.
“From our side, we are never satisfied we always want more,” Verstappen concluded.
