Formula 1 entered a new era at the start of the 2022 season. The new 18-inch tires, alteration to the aerodynamic concepts, and a cost cap on the budget are some of the new regulations this year. The team which has won the last 8 constructors in a row, Mercedes, was the favorite to come out on top of these changes. However, things have not panned out the way the German racing stable hoped for.

The Mercedes has developed an underperforming package and has fallen behind in the pecking order this season. The major thorn in the side of the team has been the issue of porpoising, which has restricted them from running the car on a level they desire.

At the press conference ahead of the British GP, Mercedes Technical director Mike Elliott shared his views on which concept is the benchmark on the grid. He said “Are we okay with our concept? It’s almost impossible to tell because you work with your own cars, and not those of the competition.” (translated using Google)

“In the mechanical area we are learning just like the rest of the grid, I am sure there is still something to gain there. We just have to keep working. We are honest with ourselves and understand that we have a backlog to make up for. We look at our weaknesses and how we can improve.” Elliott added.

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Each team on the grid is competing in an off-track race for car development. The 10 teams optimize their package with the appropriate upgrades throughout the season. The ambitions of the 8-time constructor winners are to understand the W13 better and maximize its performance to return to winning ways.

Mercedes in Uncharted Waters in the 2022 F1 Season

The aerodynamic changes introduced the ground effect, which domineers the 2022 F1 cars. Each team was presented with a fresh slate and an opportunity to exploit the new rules and regulations. This led to the introduction of various ideologies by the 10 teams and the sport witnessed 10 different-looking cars.

Under this rule change, the teams that set the benchmark were the Ferrari and the Red Bull. These constructors introduced different ideologies, which featured huge side-pods on the car. Mercedes, on the other hand, opted for a ‘no side-pod’ concept which really turned heads in the paddock.

Mike Elliott reflected on this unique approach by commenting, “That piece of bodywork probably isn’t the differentiator. The differences are made in the details and the design of the floor. We have evaluated some concepts in that direction.”

Red Bull and Mercedes were at each other throats for the entirety of the 2021 season. It is astonishing to view the pace gap between the Austrian and the German racing stable. In spite of that, Elliott confirmed that they are keeping a close eye on the concept used by their archrivals.

He mentioned, “I think it would be stupid not to at least consider that you are wrong as a team. So we don’t just look at the Red Bull concept, but at all the concepts on the grid.”

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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have struggled to get on top of their cars since the season started. Yet, the team sits in P3 in the constructor championship with a 40-point gap to Ferrari and a massive 116-point gap to Red Bull. The team based out of Brackley is pushing flat out to fine-tune the W13 and return to the top of the F1 grid.