The Mercedes W13 is receiving a lot of criticism and backlash from many in the Formula One community. However, the AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda likes the new upgrades of the W13 and thus, the German constructors appreciate the Japanese.
Protect this man at all costs. 🙏 https://t.co/KA5D8bNe6H
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 11, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The Silver Arrows are famous for building F1 cars that easily outperform the rest of the grid. Furthermore, they have been dominating the constructor department in an eight-year-long streak. The German team surely had plans to continue this streak. However, the latest rules and regulations might have come as a massive hurdle.
To dominate the upcoming 2022 season and to overcome the hurdles of the new rules, the Brackley-based team came up with negligible sidebars. Seeing the new design, many raised questions and even called it illegal. Even the Red Bull driver, Max Verstappen, had a few words for the new Mercedes. Although the dutchman didn’t know whether the W13 is illegal or not but he did call the new appearance ‘ugly’.
“I don’t know if the W13 is legal – but it’s quite ugly, isn’t it?” The 2021 World champion said, “It doesn’t look good, even the colour!”
ALSO READ: Max Verstappen Takes a Dig at the Iconic Mercedes F1 Silver Arrows – “It Is Quite Ugly”
Amid all this, the Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda surprised everyone when he mentions that the Mercedes W13 looks cool. The comments of the Japanese drivers even meted the German constructors; therefore, they went to their Twitter and asked to protect the AlphaTauri driver at all cost.
Mercedes upgrades even surprise the F1 managing director
The new negligible sidebars on the Mercedes 2022 challenger W13 has raised a lot of questions. Even the F1 managing director Ross Brawn shared that new major upgrades by Mercedes surprise him although he has previously worked for Mercedes. The F1 managing director also tells that the W13 might not be illegal, but it nearly touches these extremes of the regulations.
Ross said in his interview at Bahrain, “There is no doubt that the Mercedes concept is something we didn’t anticipate. It’s a very extreme interpretation of the regulations and inevitably there is going to be a lot of debate.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
114 laps in total on Friday for the Team. 👌 One day to go… pic.twitter.com/oNzC8jimqu
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 11, 2022
The German constructors are also getting a lot of attention due to their performance at the pre-season tests. Both drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were spectacular in Barcelona, setting the first and the second-fastest lap, respectively. And they are surely not going to let their team down in Bahrain.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH THIS STORY: From Mercedes Eye-Popping Sidepod Design to Ferraris Pace: Best Moments from F1 Testing at Bahrain 1st Day
Undoubtedly, Mercedes F1 is a team to look forward to this season. They will be trying their best to win all the upcoming races in 2022 and establish their dominance once again.