F1 Mercedes, the turning point is ready: a new W14 at Imola

The other disappointed in the first world race would have already set the deadline for the Emilia Romagna GP to present a B version of the Freccia Nera. It would be a solution much more similar to its rivals in aerodynamics

Louis Perna

March 14, 2023

– Milan

Staying true to your philosophy didn’t work. Therefore at Mercedes they are ready to revolutionize the W14 project in a short time. There would already be a fixed deadline: the end of May in Imola for the Emilia Romagna GP. On that occasion we should see the B version of the “Freccia Nera” on the track. The concept of very narrow sides (“size zero”) will be abandoned in favor of a more traditional aerodynamic configuration similar to those adopted by the competition.

clear words

After all, the words spoken by Toto Wolff in the Bahrain race had been clear. Mercedes can’t afford to waste any more time, stubbornly sticking to ideas that don’t work, because they could pay dearly for it in the coming seasons as well. The difficulties encountered in the tests and in the first race of the World Championship would have led to speeding up the decision. Also because in the meantime Aston Martin, which built the 2023 car using the Mercedes wind tunnel and uses the same power units in the “customer” version, has made a sensational leap forward by overcoming the eight-time world champion team. “Therefore – Wolff ruled – it is clear that aerodynamics is our problem”.

hamilton and the future

It is probable that Mercedes in turn decides to follow the concepts seen on Red Bull and widely imitated by others, starting with Aston Martin (not Ferrari). In the hope of straightening out the second part of the championship and above all laying the foundations for returning to the top in 2024. It is a gigantic undertaking, with the season already underway and with the current restrictions on expenses imposed by the “budget cap”, but perhaps it is the It’s the only way to regain competitiveness and convince Lewis Hamilton, whose contract is about to expire, to stay for another two years, trying to overtake Michael Schumacher with his eighth world title. In any case, having found ourselves in the same conditions as at the beginning of 2022 raises some reflections on the work carried out under the technical direction of Mike Elliott, who took over from James Allison. Don’t make mistakes again.



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