© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
Respected F1 journalist Mark Hughes takes a look at why Mercedes kept their 2022 car concept in 2023, and what to expect from Imola upgrades.
When Mercedes introduced its innovative zero-sidepod car design in 2022 pre-season testing, many thought it could be a revolutionary concept that will take the team to the top.
It did not turn out that way, as Mercedes has not been able to consistently challenge the top teams and fight for victories.
Many have since blamed the team’s poor performance on their chosen concept, however Mercedes decided to stick with it in 2023 too.
Respected F1 journalist Mark Hughes tries to answer the question why.
“With those sensational windtunnel simulation figures tantalising them, for this year’s W14, Mercedes decided to keep that basic aero philosophy with a redesigned rear suspension and gearbox, which gave it the appropriate range that it didn’t need to be so stiff and it made it more driveable and also helped by the anti-porpoising floor regulation tweaks,” Hughes told The Race.
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“They could finally make that concept work as intended but it turns out that those first-order porpoising and bouncing problems that they had last year had simply hidden a more subtle limitation.
“The aero concept just isn’t as effective as a classic undercut. The exposed floor and the wide sis bar just did not give adequate compensation for the lack of that undercut channel, especially when measured against the Red Bull, which has made massive gains thanks to the way it has configured its suspension to limit pitch and dive.
“So the Mercedes now seems to run out of airflow capacity at high speed relative to the Red Bull so it’s down on high-speed downforce, which is the opposite of last year.
“Although it’s now competitive with Ferrari on straightline speed, it’s well behind the Red Bull and its spectacular DRS stall.
“With the designed rear suspension it doesn’t bounce anymore, its low-speed handling is not so horrible, it’s a faster car than last year’s. If you run them side-by-side, this one would definitely be faster. But it’s further off the pace than last year because of the gains made by Red Bull.
“The concept is just too limited and seems already to have plateaued. Not only that but the forward cockpit part of the concept doesn’t give Hamilton the sensations he needs to have confidence in the car. He says he feels disconnected from it.”
Mercedes is now set to introduce a significant upgrade package this weekend at Imola, and the hope is that it will help the team get back on the right development path.
Hughes gives his opinion on what to expect.
“We’re led to believe it’s sidepods, bodywork, floor but also front suspension, which is interesting because that’s part of the key that’s made the Red Bull concept work so effectively.
“So we’d expect to see a little bit more anti-dive built into the geometry probably, the one it has run so far looks to have about 15 degrees of anti-dive. Something like that. Whereas the Red Bull has 45 degrees, massively greater.
“It brings aero advantages but also potential problems with braking and front tyre warm-ups so if Mercedes has gone in that direction, it will be interesting to know if it has solved the problems associated with it,” Hughes concluded.
