© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
While Mercedes promises new bodywork and suspension parts for the W14, Peter Windsor thinks the team is “still going to soldier on” with their ‘zero-sidpod’ design.
Mercedes is set to reveal their big upgrades for the W14 this weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix, and they have hinted on several occasions that the car will look very different.
With Mercedes’ promise of new bodywork, many believe the W14 will move away from the team’s ‘zero-sidepod’ concept. Former F1 team manager Peter Windsor, on the other hand, thinks the controversial design will remain.
“If you’re hoping it’ll suddenly make it as quick as a Red Bull, I think you’ll be pretty let down,” the Briton said on his YouTube channel.
“If you’re looking for something that might give them a little bit more consistency, a larger sweet spot [or] operating window as they call it, maybe it’ll do that.
“It was interesting to read what they’re saying about the upgrades, which is basically: ‘This is the start of a new path which we believe, long term, will take us back to the front and winning races.’
“So the implication is they’ve made their decision on where they’re going to go with the car and this is the first step in going in that direction.
“Whether they’re going to get away from the whole zero-pod thing and this is the first step towards going towards a conventional car remains to be seen.
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“But my bet is that they are still going to soldier on with this car but obviously make some changes based on better correlation between modelling, CFD and wind tunnel testing now that they’ve got a little bit more testing time, not being the World Champions last winter, and that correlation is going to be important in terms of the next step.”
Windsor then said he believes rivals will be able to catch up to Red Bull, but only after the team stops developing its 2023 car.
“I think Red Bull will probably pull the plug on development on this car around Spa time, because they’ll be thinking already then of ’24 and they’ve got this year’s Championship sown up.
“So at that point I think that’s when you might start to see a Mercedes or a Ferrari, or possibly even an Aston, really pretty close to a Red Bull.
“But it’ll be an artificial thing because Red Bull will be, at that point, beginning to look ahead to ’24.
“[It’ll be] a little bit like the back end of last year as well,” Windsor concluded.
