MERCEDES STICKS TO ITS OWN PATH
This week it is time for the platitudes to stop when the 20 grand prix machines take to the track together for the first time in Bahrain. The opening three-day session will bring optimism for some, and despair for others as the teams begin to form an idea of what kind of season they are about to endure. The stopwatch doesn’t lie and, by the close of play on Saturday, there will be nowhere left to hide. One of the biggest stories of the season will be how Mercedes rebounds from its (relatively) fruitless campaign in 2022. Sure, it was only one of only three teams to actually win a round during the last contest which is a return that the other seven teams would have been glad to have replicated. But by its own lofty standards, it was a huge fall from grace. Dropping to third in the constructors’ standings for a team that had been unbeaten since 2013 was more than just a blip.
Mercedes has resisted the temptation to reinvent the wheel. It came up with quite a radical design in 2022 with an ultra-slim car which had virtually no sidepods. When the troubles of porpoising arose with the W13, many fingers were pointed at the adventurous configuration of the machine. But Merc and its boffins are convinced that the concept is right and, rather than panic and revert to a more traditional layout, it has seen the philosophy through into the W14. It will be desperately hoping that the theory is right to allow Lewis Hamilton to chase a record-breaking eighth World championship and for George Russell to continue his upward career trajectory.
Elsewhere in this issue, we have our Getting Started in Motorsport Special. We lift the lid on the stepping off points for so many disciplines of motorsport. Some of those we have spoken to have said that the entry points to motor racing are the “best kept secrets” in motorised competition. And that is the shame of is, which is why we have attempted to shine a spotlight on the disciplines.
There is something for everyone in terms of the avenue a potential competitor can explore, and we have rounded them all up here. If you are already a competitor, the pass this copy of Motorsport News on to a friend: the more people who are aware of how to get started in the grassroots sport, the better.
The subject of our Q&A is the WRC inquisitor Julian Porter. The former competitor has carved out a career for himself as an essential part of the media as he grills the WRC stars at the stage-end. In a branch of the sport that is so dramatic, his insightful posers never put those at the controls on the back foot, but they do give a revealing insight into the nuances of rallying.
We are grateful for his time.