Mercedes is already planning to modify its W14
Shortly after the unveiling of its 2023 race car, Toto Wolff, the team principal of the Mercedes racing team, announced that modifications to the side pods would need to be made for the early Grand Prix.
It was one of the most anticipated single-seaters. This Wednesday, February 15th, Mercedes unveiled its W14. It surprised fans of the sport because it is entirely black, very similar to the 2020 one.
Like the W13, the latest model has almost non-existent sidepods. This had caused numerous problems for the team last year, as they suffered from porpoising for a large part of the season.
The presentation model, similar to the W14 from the winter tests.
The model presented, this Wednesday, February 15th, will undergo modifications very soon. « Obviously, there is no sacred cow here, and we are examining everything. On the pitlanes, [what was displayed on the presentation car is] the first version and, once the first races are over, it will change a little bit », assured Toto Wolff, a few moments after the presentation of the race car.
But, by the time of the winter tests that will take place in Bahrain, from February 23 to 25, the W14 should undergo few changes. What you have seen is, for the most part, the car that we are going to race, and also the one that we are going to test. It is fundamentally important to understand the platform and the behavior of the single-seater, rather than keeping a few elements in the background that could add a tenth or two to pure aerodynamic performance.
