What do you think will happen if Mercedes do not construct a better car in 2023? Lewis Hamilton will once again get defeated by the Red Bull star or this time by even better, by Ferrari’s ace Leclerc. In 2022, Red Bull has just proved that by mastering itself according to the new technical rules, a team can demolish another’s domination, just like they smashed Mercedes’s dignity.
Lewis Hamilton has already turned 38, with two years remaining until he enters his forties. And before retiring, he just wants one thing, the eighth world title that he lost in 2021. However, with a car like W13, Hamilton cannot win a championship, as he himself has admitted it. So, the Silver Arrows is just changing the DNA of the car.
The 2023 Mercedes championship machine may look similar to the W13, but underneath, it is totally different. And, fans do not need to worry about anything anymore, because Mercedes knows the areas where they need to work on. The second of the season was under investigation, the Silver Arrows were analyzing where the car needs improvement. All the improvements are piled up in the package of making the W14. Following are the seven parts where the Silver Arrows will work and bring their best version in W14.
1. Floor Stiffness Of Mercedes
Mercedes launched their sidepod design in W13 for the first time, and they were about to end the season winless. Initially, they thought it was not a good idea to implement the sidepods in the W14 too. But then, it was found that the sidepod design is not the root cause of their failure. Instead, the problem was the sidepods being attached to the floor stiffness. The technical director, Mike Eliott said, “The narrow sidepod means that you have got a big cantilevered floor, and it is a challenge to manage the stiffness”.
2. Drag
The second improvement Mercedes will bring is to prevent the dragging of the car. In 2022, Mercedes lost because the car was draggy is the first statement recorded. Also, Hamilton has claimed that it is the number one issue to be fixed by the winter break.
3. Weight
In order to bring updates, Mercedes will have to keep in mind that the new set of rules again has been implemented. One of the new rules is the 2kg reduction in weight. And as even Red Bull, struggled with the weight issue, Mercedes did too.
4. Brakes
Speaking of the issues related to the brakes, Lewis Hamilton, said, “W13 had problems with the brakes all year.” He explained that when he hit the brake, then either the left side of the front works more or the right side works more. Both never actually worked equally, which is a big area that Mercedes needs to work on.
5. Engine
After the second half, Mercedes figured out that the link between the power unit and the chassis is something that can be developed individually. Doing this will improve the performance of the car. This Power Unit development will make the matching of the PU to the chassis even more “beautiful” as explained by Mercedes high-performance Powertrains boss Hywel Thomas. He believes that bringing the change in the PU provided a little gain during the closing races of the 2022 season.
6. All Round Gain Of The Mercedes New Car
The all-around gain will focus on the overall development of the car. Mike Eliott has already suggested that Mercedes has got a whole menu where they will be working this winter. The underlying car concept is being changed and a new package has been prepared for the making of W14.