![The DNA of the Mercedes F1 representative “2023 F1 machine” “changes”[F1-Gate.com]](https://i0.wp.com/f1-gate.com/media/img2022/20221026-mercedes-f1-2023.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1 "The DNA of the Mercedes F1 representative “2023 F1 machine” “changes”[F1-Gate.com]")
Mercedes F1 team representative Toto Wolff says the “DNA” will change to W14, the F1 car of 2023, to solve the W13 problem.
The Mercedes F1 team is just three races away to avoid its first winless season in 11 years after battling Red Bull and Ferrari under the revised technical regulations for 2022.
But the Mercedes F1 team has made progress over the course of the season to get closer to the top.
Lewis Hamilton has come the closest to winning the F1 United States Grand Prix so far this season. This was also thanks to the last season update package of the W13. Hamilton finished the race in second place after losing the lead with seven laps to go.
The Mercedes F1 team has revealed that the end-of-season update work is intended to help the direction of its evolving 2023 car after issues with this year’s concept were detected.
“The DNA of the car will change next year, of course,” said Wolff.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean our bodywork will look very different, but part of the car’s DNA, the car’s architecture is sure to change next year.”
At the start of the season, the Mercedes F1 team was struggling with a rebound problem with its W13. And after the first major update at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix in May, he discovered a deeper problem built into the design.
The Mercedes F1 team has not been able to match Red Bull’s straight-line speed over the past year, with Max Verstappen overtaking Lewis Hamilton to take the lead in Sunday’s race at the Circuit of the Americas. it became evident again.
Lewis Hamilton said after the race that he thinks Mercedes have taken a step in the right direction, but that Verstappen has the lead on the straight.
“With the DRS, they are about 35 km / h faster than us. If we are behind them, with the DRS on the straight, I think they are about 22 km / h.”
“But even without DRS, I think they’re still around 8km / h, so they’ll waste a lot of time on the straights, maybe at least tenths of a second per lap. So for next year’s car. We need to make some improvements.
The Mercedes F1 team could benefit from more time in the wind tunnel for aerodynamic development in 2023 after Red Bull won the Constructors’ Championship on Sunday.
The Mercedes F1 team could run 14% more wind tunnels than Red Bull in 2023 if it finished the season third in the standings. Toto Wolff believes it provides adequate passage.
“In this regard, we were the leading team throughout 2021 and then we won the Constructors’ Championship, so it has been a big disadvantage so far,” explained Wolff.
“So for the entire first half of 2022, we had 7% less time in the wind tunnel than Red Bull 18 months ago and a lot less time than Ferrari. Now it’s swinging to the other side.”
“Compared to Red Bull, finishing third gives us 14% more overtime. That extra time is exactly what the regulations were designed for and it will give us the potential to extract the advantage and win it back.”
