The suspicions were real and have been confirmed: Mercedes has presented a revolutionary concept in the tests of Bahrain. And no, the replicas, the reproaches and the criticisms of the competition have not taken long to come out. Above all, by Red Bull. Although the team has tried to deny the statements of their team leader.
The Mercedes W13, the great revolution
The star team has done it once more. Many voices from the paddock assured that Mercedes was going to present itself in Sakhir with a groundbreaking design and the speculations have turned out to be true: the W13 of Lewis Hamilton and of George Russell it has no pontoons.
You have read correctly, the Bahrain car B has nothing to do with the version A shown in Barcelona. The Mercedes has completely slimmed down its image, recalling the absence of pontoons in the cars of past decades.
On a visual level, the change is impressive and has not left anyone indifferent. Now the sidepod cooling inlet has been narrowed and inverted. It’s just non-existent. To offset this radical philosophy, version 1.1 of the W13 has greatly increased the number of gills on the sidepods. Similarly, the radiators have been relocated for greater efficiency.
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The first complaints arrive
Mercedes’ metamorphosis in less than two weeks has been enormous and has raised the suspicions of rival teams. Specifically, Red Bull has been the most angry opponent. His team leader, Horner, has doubted the legality of the new German car, although the team itself has wanted to deny these statements. But they have arrived late and badly. Several journalists present in Sakhir have confirmed the words of the British manager.
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Beyond the controversies of the preseason and the possible use of legal loopholes in the regulation, this has not been the only novelty of Mercedes in the desert. The brand led by Toto Wolff has also introduced updates to both the flat bottom and the front wing.
However, not everything has been good news for the Germans in the first morning session. Hamilton has suffered a porpoising extreme and the mechanics had to correct it in the garage. In response, braces have been implemented towards the midway point of the session to prevent higher ground flexing and the British driver has started to bounce slightly inside his cockpit, although the roll has continued to be evident.
This is the Formula 1 of the present: only two hours of pre-season testing have had to pass before the Great Circus is already in a turmoil. And what we have left…
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