Mercedes use rocket science
Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, has described the new-look Mercedes car as ‘‘extreme’’ but insisted he had no issue with the legality of the radical design.
Mercedes’s W13 car has been the subject of debate since it was revealed in Bahrain on Thursday, at the start of the second pre-season test session. The sidepods – which guide air inside a car to cool the engine – are barely visible.
The new design is intended to aid cooling and boost the aerodynamics, and has reportedly been inspired by aerospace technology.
Horner was initially quoted by the wellrespected German publication Auto Motor Und Sport as describing his rival’s car as ‘‘not legal’’ – comments which Red Bull denied, but which the publication stood by. The Red Bull boss later sought to clarify his position.
‘‘The car is obviously innovative, it’s an interesting solution,’’ he said.
‘‘As far as we’re concerned it looks like the Mercedes car complies with the regulations . . . . It looks like it ticks all the boxes.’’
Ross Brawn, Formula One’s motorsport director, admitted that he had not anticipated such a radical design, and that feeling was echoed by his colleague, Pat Symonds, F1’s technical director.
‘‘This is a very novel approach,’’ Symonds told Sky Sports F1. ‘‘I like to see novel interpretations. I have to say it’s not one that I’d expected to see. And I’m still really impressed at how they’re getting the air through to cool the car, but they obviously are.’’
Mercedes has said it is not concerned about any potential challenge to the car and insisted that it had been working alongside the FIA, the sport’s governing body, throughout the design process.
Symonds revealed that Mercedes were able to shrink their sidepods as they had been working with an aerospace technology company in Oxfordshire.
Whether or not the new design will help Mercedes remains to be seen. Lewis Hamilton and his new team-mate, George Russell, struggled on the first day in Bahrain.
With the first race of the season taking place there early on March 21 (NZ time), Ferrari are being tipped to challenge the dominance of Red Bull and Mercedes.
Horner, however, was reluctant to write off Mercedes, saying the rate of car development would be intense, and the team would be a huge factor in the championship.