24 May 2023 , 15:49
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Mercedes will run a new aerodynamic package at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix which signals the end of the team's failed 'zeropod' experiment.
The Silver Arrows turned a lot of heads when it began last season with a much more narrow design than any of their rivals. Mercedes hoped they had found something which would give them an edge over their rivals, but the actual result was that they were well out of title contention.
Confident that the lack of pronounced sidepods was not their main problem, the team persisted with the concept at the start of this season. But, if anything, the performance gap to Red Bull has only increased.
Mercedes were due to introduce a significant upgrade package at Imola last weekend before the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was called off. So the designs will instead debut this weekend as the parts had already been modified.
While the new aero design has not officially been seen in public, some close-up images have been leaked on social media. Mercedes will have "an opportunity to learn about the upgrades" this weekend, said team boss Toto Wolff – though he admitted this Monaco track is not the ideal place to introduce such big changes.
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"We need to be careful not to draw too many conclusions from this one event," said the Austrian. "We are introducing the first step in a new development direction.
"It won't be a silver bullet – from my experience, they do not exist in our sport. We hope that it gives the drivers a more stable and predictable platform. Then we can build on that in the weeks and months ahead.
Toto Wolff's team has changed its aerodynamic concept (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)"F1 is tough competition and a meritocracy. We are not where we want to be but there's no sense of entitlement. It's just about hard work to get us to the front."
Wolff's caution is more than justified given the size of the mountain his team must climb to return to the front of the grid. Red Bull have won all five races so far this season and already have a 122-point lead at the top of the constructors' championship over second-placed Aston Martin.
Mercedes are a further six points adrift and are 18 ahead of Ferrari. The story in the drivers' standings is a similar one – leader Max Verstappen and challenger Sergio Perez comfortably ahead of anyone else with Lewis Hamilton fourth and George Russell sixth.