Motorsports
The unknown “big change” that the new Mercedes W13 hides
The white redesign of this year’s Formula 1 cars has monopolized winter, but Mercedes revealed there is a “huge change” under the bodywork that could dominate them in 2022.
Behind the back of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell Hybrid drive engine modification at Mercedes HPP in Brixworth, UK’is hands down the biggest change we’ve made since these regulations began (in 2014).says Howell Thomas, CEO of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains.
So far, discussions about engines in 2022 have focused on Ferrari’s leap in this area, as has Shell, with a purported new technology being applied to F1’s new biofuels – which will now be 10% ethanol.
And while Mercedes F1 executives are claiming that Ferrari is likely to have the most powerful powerplant this year, Mercedes HPP has now announced it’s made a similar mechanical leap – with the biggest changes since 2014, when cars moved into the hybrid era and Mercedes took the reins of the manufacturers’ championship, which it still holds.
Howell Thomas explained: “The team has done a lot of great work, especially with the way it (engine) is incorporated into the body. The front of the engine is completely different. But this wasn’t a simple rearrangement – it was a huge, frightening change! It’s an area that we review every year, as well as the exhaust systems, with minor changes. But this year is complete.
And then, on top of all that, we have the question of stopping engine development. This will be our powerhouse for the next four years. That’s why we didn’t want to leave anything out – we wanted to put all our ideas into improving its performance and reliability.
On the subject of new biofuels, he added: “Biofuels change combustion. Adding ethanol to petrol reduces the calorific value of the fuel. This means we start with finite efficiency – the same amount of fuel produces less energy. This is a problem for us because it robs us of power.
On the other hand, the fuel lasts longer, which means we can push the engine a little more. A large part of our development this year related to the various patterns supplied by petronas to attempt “, closed the British.
A new Mercedes W13 in Bahrain
As well as the powerplant, rumors have been circulating in recent days that Mercedes is heading to Bahrain this week for the second three days of winter testing – starting next Thursday (3/10) – with an impressively and extensively revised W13 in relation to the car it launched ten days ago presented at the Barcelona tests.
In fact, the champion is said to be following the tactics she had chosen in winter 2019 – which started the first winter tests with a base car and was presented in the following ones with a radically revised B version, an almost completely redesigned new car.
So has Ferrari, whose manager Mattia Binoto recently said Mercedes will be going to Bahrain with “big, very big upgrades” to the W13.
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.
The FIA has officially confirmed a significant increase in the cost of filing protests, appeals and requests for review in Formula 1 from the 2026 season. According to the new regulations, the contribution fee will increase from 2,000 Euros to 20,000 Euros and will be included in the teams’ budget limit.
The decision follows a wave of criticism after Red Bull made several protests against Mercedes driver George Russell during the 2025 season. After the Miami and Canadian Grand Prix both cases were dismissed by the stewards but caused delays and chaos in the paddock.
Russell and McLaren management have repeatedly emphasized that the upfront deposit is too low for teams with multimillion-dollar budgets. In their view, this encouraged speculative and tactical protests.
The FIA says the new rules retain the right to appeal in the case of genuine infringements, but significantly increase financial liability for false complaints. This is expected to reduce the number of post-race disputes and make the protest procedure more balanced.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Mercedes driver George Russell said he was sincerely pleased with Lando Norris’ first Formula 1 championship, which he won in Abu Dhabi on the final stage of the season. According to Russell, he may have been jealous of his compatriot’s success at a younger age, but his views have now changed.
Norris became world champion, just two points ahead of Max Verstappen, despite a strong comeback from the Red Bull driver, who was looking to capture his fifth consecutive title.
Russell and Norris have known each other well since the teenage series; In particular, they fought for the Formula 2 championship won by Russell in 2018. Both made their Formula 1 debuts in 2019, but it was Norris who was first to top the championship.
Russell emphasized that he did not feel any jealousy after the McLaren driver’s victory.
“I’m very happy for him. Maybe when I was younger and less mature, I would have been jealous of my rival and compatriot winning the championship.
But as you get older, you realize how difficult it is to maintain a high level in this sport.”
Both Britons have become leaders of their teams over the years; Russell is at Mercedes, Norris is at McLaren. At the same time, while the Brackley team has been in decline in recent seasons, it was McLaren who were able to offer a car that could fight for the championship before Mercedes.
Russell also noted the importance of not missing a rare chance to compete for the championship and praised Norris for withstanding the pressure.
“We never know when our chance will come. I’m sure he didn’t know that opportunity would come this year.”
He showed an incredible performance, especially in the second half of the season. I’m happy for him, he deserves it,” Russell concluded.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Max Verstappen received his fifth consecutive Formula 1 Driver of the Year award despite being one step away from his fifth consecutive championship title in the 2025 season.
All but four riders participated in the anonymous survey, traditionally conducted among peloton pilots. According to the results, the Red Bull driver was ahead of the new world champion Lando Norris.
Drivers compiled their own top 10 using the standard Formula 1 points system. Verstappen secured first place with 25 points in six different votes.
Norris, who won his first championship after a difficult season, came second in the referee voting for the second time in a row.
McLaren secured the drivers’ title by enduring serious pressure from Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri in one of the most interesting seasons of recent years.
Third in the rankings was George Russell, up one place from last year. The Mercedes driver had a strong season, claiming two wins and seven podium finishes.
Piastri improved his position by one place and finished fourth, although his championship ambitions diminished in the autumn. At one point in the season the Australian was 34 points ahead of his rivals.
Rounding out the top 5 was Charles Leclerc, who dropped two places despite getting the most out of the Ferrari SF-25. The Monegasque achieved seven podiums and the Scuderia finished the season in fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Carlos Sainz retained sixth place after an impressive recovery for Williams. Despite a difficult start for Grovey, the Spaniard managed to reach the podium twice in the second half of the season.
Fernando Alonso rose two places to seventh with his strong performance behind the wheel of the Aston Martin AMR25.
The eighth place was taken by Alex Albon, who had his best season at Williams. The top ten is rounded out by newcomers Oliver Berman and Isak Hajjar, who are known for their strong debut seasons.
It is noteworthy that Lewis Hamilton was not included in the voting for the first time since the beginning of this rating, which reflects the British pilot’s difficult first season with Ferrari.
Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda also did not participate in the survey.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
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