Mercedes F1 Strikes Gold With Upcoming Upgrade That Abandons Zeropod Design

Toto Wolff is feeling very happy with the gains the team has just made in the wind tunnel.

The 8-time Constructor Champion, Mercedes, is taking a leap of faith by abandoning its long-standing 'zeropod' concept that has been in use since last season. Although it's going to be an uphill battle for the Brackley team, this will give drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell the kick up the confidence they need.

Talking with the press this weekend, Toto Wolff has admitted that the team has made "big steps" as they search for uncovering more performance from the W14, "much bigger than we've had over a long time". 

Unleashing Performance Gains Like Never Before

"It is big steps in relative performance to where we are even now," Wolff said excitedly. "The kind of gains that are coming in, in our R&D and in aero, are much bigger than we've had over a long time.

“So we've unlocked some potential because we are simply looking at things from different angles now. We have a different perspective, because of our learnings of the Bahrain test and race.

“There was no step back. On the contrary, there was immediately two steps forward.”

This new level of confidence from the team will hopefully reflect in the team's performance, even before these upgrades have been brought in. After all, the lack of passion in Hamilton has already affected his performance. 

More Than Just Sidepods: The Setup Window Revolution

While the buzz around Mercedes' concept change mostly involves the sidepods, unsurprisingly a lot of the change comes from the floor of the car which creates the gound-effect downforce. 

Wolff elaborated, "I think the biggest change that we made is actually looking at whether we want to have the car set-up in its sweet spot. We've been too low last year, and we've been too high this year. And now we believe we know what to land on.

“On the other side, then obviously, everything else follows in terms of floor, and bodywork that you want to achieve.

“So I don't want to sound too foolishly optimistic, but at least we see low hanging fruit with things that are encouraging.” 

Consequently, changes will be seen in the bodywork of the car as it works as a full system, but it's no shock that Wolff is still remaining cautious of being too optimistic. 

A Visually Distinct W14 on the Horizon

Due to these innovative adjustments, the future W14 will boast a strikingly different appearance. Wolff provided a glimpse into what to expect, saying.

"It is all the aerodynamic surfaces that are visible, from the leading edge all the way to the diffuser and the beam wing."

He continues:

“There's massive amounts on the floor, obviously with a ground-effect car, and then there's many more architectural things that are necessary in order to do things more efficient.

“So it's literally the car is being turned upside down at the moment and there's a lot of goodness that we see.” 

Unwavering Dedication to Performance Improvements

Despite George Russell securing a third-place grid slot at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Wolff remains resolute in his belief that the team needs a major car rethink.

"We're always looking at the benchmark performance, and that is [Max] Verstappen and [Sergio] Perez today, and it's just too far away. So that hasn't changed," he explained.

Wolff's determination is unshaken by individual successes, as he emphasizes the long-term trajectory: 

"We are just storming full steam ahead now, changing things," he declared.

We'll certainly be holding our breath in anticipation, but this seems like a costly campaign for the team. How's the cost cap going, boys?