Mercedes doesn't rule out switching to Red Bull Racing's Formula One concept next year as the team evaluates how to make a leap for 2023. The Germans have had a difficult season so far, with the W13 plagued by excess weight.
Mercedes doesn't rule out switching to Red Bull Racing's Formula One concept next year as the team evaluates how to make a leap for 2023. The Germans have had a difficult season so far, with the W13 plagued by excess weight.
Although the team's zero sidepod design was initially praised, it failed to deliver what Mercedes had hoped for. However, the team has refused to abandon the concept just yet, as the design is not believed to contribute to the problems of kicks.
However, with more and more teams copying Red Bull Racing's sidepod design and suggesting that this is the best solution, Mercedes also admits that it is considering following Adrian Newey's example.
The team probably won't do this during the current season, but according to technical director Mike Elliott, we may see the Red Bull concept at Mercedes in 2023. He told this to Autosport.com.
However, the team will only make this change if its own concept really doesn't work. This will become apparent when a solution to the quik problem is finally found, which will probably be the case this weekend at Silverstone.
After that several concepts will be evaluated, including that of Red Bull Racing. Elliott acknowledges that it would be "stupid" not to have a certain amount of humility and think that you might be wrong. So who knows: maybe after the green Red Bull from Aston Martin, we will also see a silver version in 2023.