First breath for Mercedes W14 with “different DNA” in Brackley

The former F1 champion managed to start her new Mercedes W14 and start its engine for the first time before the factories in Brackley (chassis) and Brixworth (engines) closed for the Christmas holidays.

Not even in the small video released from the first ignition of the hybrid powertrain, the team has not revealed any information about the design philosophy of the single-seater, which replaces the multifaceted problematic and in every respect cumbersome adjustment tests Mercedes W13, with which in the 2013 season only one win was achieved.

Mercedes-AMG F1 director Toto Wolff spoke of a “change in the DNA” of the car, from the W13 to the W14, without going into detail. The W13 caused a stir when it presented its innovative design of the very narrow and tiny side openings in the cooler at the beginning of March 2022.

But that wasn’t the problem with the car. The main reason for its underperformance was the fact that the W13’s aerodynamic design philosophy called for maximum lift production as close to the ground as possible – and this was rarely achieved due to severe porpoise problems in the first half of the year.

Brackley’s team tried countless fixes, but each caused different side issues. Except for the end of the season, when the solutions started to pay off, helping George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to a 1-2 at the Brazilian GP, ​​Mercedes’ only win of 2022.

We took the first big step in Barcelona, ​​where you saw for the first time that the car has more dynamics.”, explained Hamilton. “But it turned out to be an illusion – the car was good there, but the next races were difficult. It was like there was a ghost hiding in the car that kept coming back.

Then came France where it looked like we made a good move with our first double podium of the year. And then there was Austin, where our upgrades worked well. I always thought we could do this. I never doubted that in the end we would get where we needed to be, but this year there were a lot of trials and failures.”added the Brit.

And he concluded: “That’s how the year went this year. It was about failure, destroying our egos, strengthening our relationships, our communication. In this respect, it was a year that strengthened us. It was a very difficult year for everyone. For me, the challenge came in ways I never expected, but I’m incredibly grateful for it. I have felt more grown as a person in terms of spiritual strength this year than I have in any other year.”

After that, and given the W13’s problematic design philosophy, Mercedes is expected to be one of the (few) teams to make major changes to their 2023 car compared to 2022. The latest information suggests that the peculiar design of its side slits .

“It is clear that the DNS of the car changes for the new year”, said Toto Wolff in particular. “That doesn’t necessarily mean his body will look completely different. But certainly its architecture that recommends it DNS about it, it will change next year”. At the moment, the Brackley team has not announced which day in February they will unveil the Mercedes W14.