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With Mercedes promising the W14 will undergo ‘radical changes’, Toto Wolff explains whether that will include a complete ‘chassis change’.
After a disappointing performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin said the team is planning to introduce “radical changes” to its 2023 car.
Ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, team boss Toto Wolff was asked if this will include a chassis change.
“No, I think that it’s out of the question that you change the chassis, because simply there is not enough budget in the cost cap,” the Austrian said.
“But changing the way the aerodynamics work and bodywork is perfectly within the scope.”
Wolff then explained a complete chassis change would raise numerous other concerns.
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“So when you speak about the chassis, the question is, do you speak about the monocoque and basically the tub or are we speaking about everything else around?
“And I think the monocoque is one thing, and that’s obviously there are weight implications, COG [Centre of Gravity] implications, where does the driver sit, more forward or more rearwards.
“But I think the biggest gains that we need to find is how can we extract more downforce all around the track.
“And these are the areas we are chasing now, and once you come to the conclusion in the next few months, that that was the right avenue, then things are going continue that way.
“And if we see that is not enough to actually challenge for the front, then there might be more radical decisions that need to be taken.”
Toto also said Mercedes now completely understands what they’ve done wrong to end up in a place they’re currently in, but they still have to find a way to bring serious performance to the car.
“We do understand, crystal clear, what we’ve done and why we ended up in a place that doesn’t bring us performance.
“But understanding it from the, let’s say scientific side, isn’t yet, you know… It’s sometimes difficult to find a way back into real performance onto the car.
“But we have a big step ahead to what we’ve seen after the test, in terms of our understanding,” Wolff concluded.
