© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Sky Sports’ analyst Ted Kravitz says Mercedes “changed their concept over the winter”, but “this concept hasn’t worked”, so now “they are going to try concept three”.
After struggling throughout most of 2022, Mercedes went into the winter determined to get back into the title fight in 2023.
However, once the lights went out at the first race in Bahrain, it became obvious that the team is even further away from Red Bull than it was last year.
Not only that, but they were even outperformed by Aston Martin, a team that uses their engines, and many other parts – even their wind tunnel!
It turns out that Aston Martin decided to change their concept after 2022 and made their car look more like Red Bull – the most successful car on the grid right now.
After Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying on Saturday, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff admitted his team will also have to change their ‘zero sidepods’ concept, a concept that they believed could still work, but are now pretty certain it won’t.
After the race on Sunday, Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz said Mercedes now has to do the same thing Aston Martin did.
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“Mercedes changed their concept over the winter,” the Briton said.
“Their concept last year was to get the car as low as possible. Then they had the dreaded porpoising so the whole of 2022 was written off.
“They changed concept: ‘Let’s run the car up a bit, let’s keep the sidepods because we think aerodynamically they are good’.
“This concept hasn’t worked. So they are going to try concept three! The third concept in two-and-a-half years.
“That is essentially to do what Aston Martin have done. Toto is clear: ‘There is nothing wrong with our power unit, there is nothing wrong with our rear suspension, there is nothing wrong with the gear box’.
“All of which are on the Aston. Look at the Aston, it’s a Red Bull copy! More of less.
“That’s what Mercedes will have to do,” Kravitz concluded.
