After the disastrous 2022 F1 season, Mercedes realized that the design of W13 was something that the team needed to throw in the dustbin of the Mercedes factory. Now, for the 2023 Formula One campaign, the Brackley-based team is on building the best Mercedes car in order to get back the dignity they lost last season. W14 will have a total DNA change. It will be full of pace, hopes, and expectations. Let’s read how the W14 will be entirely different from W13.
As the first details of the 2023 car are out now, one can suspect a lot of improvements in the successor of W13. According to some of the rumors, Mercedes will adopt a conceptual revolution in the project of 2023. Looking at the concept of W13, it was a single-seater which was difficult to extract the potential. 2022 was the first season when Mercedes tested its first zero sidepods concept with the W13.
In Bahrain, the first test itself, the Silver Arrows realized that the car was not reaching expectations. The first suspected problem in the car was the aerodynamic jolts. This created porpoising issues and deprived the drivers of taking out the full potential of the car that was expected when the engineers designed it.
Which Path Will Mercedes Follow?
When the problems with the W13 were actually figured out, the team focused on reducing them. And the only way they found to reduce the porpoising issues was the adoption of the ride heights above the ideal level. However, doing this would have caused a lot of downforce from the ground. So, nothing could be touched as the season was already started, and taking the risk was even more dangerous.
The uncertainty of the W13 persisted till 18 Grand Prix races. However, in Austin, ahead of the United States Grand Prix. Mercedes launched the final upgrade of W13 with evolved rear wings and aerodynamics development. And, for the record, this upgrade changed the game for the Silver Arrows.
Will The Silver Arrows Copy Red Bull’s Design?
Meanwhile, one question arises as the rear wings upgrade of W13 was helpful. So, will Mercedes proceed with the same development in W14 too? Which path will Mercedes follow? Recently Toto Wolff visited their factory. He revealed that when he saw next year’s car, he was shocked because it looked exactly the same as W13. But then the engineers told him that everything is different underneath.
Meanwhile, for the concept of W14, Mercedes might adopt the same design as RB18. This is because Red Bull launched the “double bottom” concept in 2022 and recorded the best result ever. Moreover, looks like Mercedes will not completely remove the sidepod concept as its driver George Russell suspected no harm in installing it. A vertical inlet of the sidepods may be installed at the front in W14. It is predicted that the rear part of the car may get tapered this time as the aerodynamics department will have a flat section forming a T-shaped rear. This will help the car to increase the efficiency provided by the diffuser as it will exploit the beam wing.