Mercedes Confesses to a “Loophole in the Regulations” as the Main Cause of 2022 F1 Headache

From dominating the top of the grid since 2014 to being an outlier this year, the downfall has been shocking for Mercedes. What has gone wrong for the Silver Arrows? Looking at the growing popularity of the sport, F1 decided to introduce seismic changes in regulations to produce even more spectacular racing. This presented teams like Red Bull and Ferrari with a huge opportunity.

The team from Milton-Keynes gave Mercedes a taste of their own medicine. In 2014, Formula 1 decided to introduce new engines, new wings, and new electronic systems to the car. Mercedes took full advantage of its turbocharger design which helped them to produce less turbo lag and greater fuel efficiency. Moreover, it gave Mercedes a huge advantage going into the 2014 season.

The Silver Arrows, with their innovative design, went on to dominate the sport for the next few years. But, the juggernaut came to an end last year when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen nosed out Lewis Hamilton to win the drivers’ championship. It has become worse this year around as Mercedes has struggled to come anywhere close to Red Bull.

Speaking about the reason behind struggles in 2022, Mercedes’ Technical director Mike Elliot said, “When you look at this year’s car versus last year’s car, they fundamentally run in a completely different way. . And, so making that transition with what we were doing last year to this year, we have got certain things slightly wrong.”

On being asked about the concept of the car, Mike replied, “We saw a loophole in the regulations which led to the sidepod concept. With a loophole, you go through the winter and you look at and think ‘has anybody else spotted it, is someone else going to turn up with it?”

“But it wasn’t a huge game-changer, in the learning we’ve found this year, it’s less about the shape of the car, it’s more about the way we approach the development of the car, that’s where the difference lies,” Mike added.

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Despite their struggles, Mercedes has tried to make the best out of the opportunities at their disposal.

Mercedes continues to make steady progress

It was a torrid start to the season. But the Silver Arrows have made a comeback of sorts. Mercedes is just 66 points behind Ferrari. It is in itself an achievement, considering where they were after the initial few races.

Talking to Motorsport, Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ head of trackside engineering, said, “It is enjoyable to have a very different challenge. So all these challenges are actually what help stretch you. At the moment we have got a good development rate.”

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Mercedes has done well to give itself a chance to fight for P2 in the constructors’ championship. Will they be able to overtake Ferrari? Tell us in the comment section below.