F1
The future Mercedes, a copy of Red Bull? “I will have no shame if it is fast” replies Wolff
Toto Wolff is confident in Mercedes' ability to repair its mistakes on the next car © DPPI
It's not a secret : Mercedes made a mistake in the design of the W14. The Silver Arrows are the first to recognize this, after a disappointing start to the season. The “zero pontoons” concept still does not work and the German team has fallen significantly behind Red Bull in 2023. Despite a slight improvement in Jeddah, with the 4th and 5th places of Russell and Hamilton, the rhythm of the car German is still far from the mark. The Brackley factory is currently running at full capacity to produce a new single-seater with radically different characteristics.
“We are launching into the future and making a difference, said Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, in Saudi Arabia. We're making big strides right now with our R&D, with our understanding in the wind tunnel. This is a really big step because we just needed confirmation in Bahrain that we were wrong. »
Gains " much more important” than before at Mercedes
Mercedes has also decided, at the end of the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain, that “radical” changes were going to take place on the design of the single-seater. Could we see a B version of the W2023 from 14? In any case, the results obtained by the engineers of the German team delight Toto wolff. “I think if we continue to take the big steps that we've already taken in the last ten days, then I think we'll get to a point where we'll really be able to respond. The kind of gains we're getting, in our R&D and in aerodynamics, are much bigger than we've had in a long time. »
The Austrian director said he did not want to appear “stupidly optimistic”, but that all visible aerodynamic surfaces of the car were being reconsidered. “The car is upside down at the moment and there are a lot of good things we are seeing,” he added. We see things that are encouraging. »
If the “zero pontoons” concept will soon be trashed, could Mercedes take inspiration from its direct competitors for the design of its future single-seater? “We have no dogmatism about the appearance of the car. It simply has to be the fastest racing car possible. If this car looks like a Red Bull? I do not care. I won't be ashamed if she's fast." replied Toto Wolff, determined to return to the front no matter what.
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Dorian Grangier
A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.
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YVES CHAMPOD
22/03/2023 at 05:27 a.m.
Well Toto, but you will have to 'give' a few hours of wind tunnel to RED BULL, because they worked for 'Mercedes AMG Petronas', and you denounced them! ! ! ________________ Beautiful Ingratitude. . .
21/03/2023 at 01:28 a.m.
All this while of course remaining within the budget allocated for the 2023 season!!