New developments at Mercedes in 2022: stop or again?

At Silverstone, Mercedes did not do it in half measures. The German team has brought numerous developments to Great Britain, with the aim of getting closer to Ferrari et Red Bull. A new package to correct the faults of the W13 since the beginning of the year. This is the second time the Silver Arrows have introduced a major Update this season, after Barcelona. 

But the pace of development of the world champion team could be cut short by the next races. With the application of the budget cap, vagueness reigns regarding the timetable for new developments at Mercedes, as explained by the team's technical director, Mike Elliott. “The budget ceiling is a real challenge for everyone. We have to look at what we can afford to do for the rest of the season,” admits the British engineer. 

A new philosophy at Mercedes with the “budget cap”

With already two major developments in less than 10 Grands Prix, Mercedes is pulling out all the stops in the development of its car. The German team is taking the risk of reaching the budget ceiling more quickly than expected, even if it claims to want to take the time to understand the problems of the W13.

A radical change in philosophy compared to the 2021 season according to Elliott. “ Previously, in a normal year, we focused on maximizing the current year and thought about the year after at the same time. Today we first have to understand everything because we need to know exactly what we are doing for next year, explains the technical director of Mercedes. We will definitely try some experiments during the season, to make sure we are going in the right direction with the development of next year's car. »

The engineers of the star brand are still in the unknown regarding the development schedule for the end of the season according to Mike Elliott. “Afterwards, whether it will be a big development or not, it will depend on what we find as a solution and what we can afford. »

A later development of the 2023 single-seater

Asked about the development of the next Mercedes, the one for the 2023 season, Elliott admits that its design began recently. “Like all the other teams, we have just started [the development of the 2023 car]. We are looking at what we want to do. We need to focus on the basic architecture first. Aerodynamic details will come later. »

The Brackley-based team wants to wait to see the results given by the arrival of the new developments at Silverstone. If these new features work, engineers will have a first indication to follow. “The questions today are: “Are we on the right track? ", "should we continue the development of this or that thing? ". We have to make sure we understand exactly how the car works, to get what we want to get, to have a correlation with the track. That's the most important thing. »

After qualifying disrupted by rain, it is difficult to give a real opinion on Mercedes' pace over one lap. But the performances of Hamilton and Russell during the dry track testing sessions may give some reason for hope. Lewis Hamilton will start 5th in the British Grand Prix, George Russell will start 8th. The German team is aiming for a podium on the home soil of its two drivers.

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