Mercedes technical director Mike Elliot admits that the German group may hand over on its zero-sidepod philosophy, however not but.
The group opted to stay with the idea regardless of widespread hypothesis that it performed a big half within the group’s struggles final yr, one thing denied by Toto Wolff who has continually argued that the philosophy was not the principle issue within the porpoising points that plagued Mercedes for a lot of the season.
Nevertheless, technical director, Mike Elliot has admitted {that a} new strategy is within the pipeline however that the group won’t be following Pink Bull’s instance.
“That is not in our present plans,” mentioned Elliot. “In competitors phrases, hopefully we’re again however I feel we now have to be humble, we now have to recollect we have got good competitors.
“If we made a step ahead and bought nearer to the entrance, then we’re again in it,” he added. “And if we are able to develop over the course of the season, then hopefully we are able to struggle for the championship.”
“There’s bodywork coming and it’ll look totally different. It will not appear to be another person’s automotive, it can appear to be an evolution of ours. That is on its approach.”
“The sidepods will change,” mentioned Wolff, “not quickly, however we’re options.”
Beforehand, Wolff has mentioned he was “proud” of the options put into the W13, insisting that the zero-sidepods idea was not “essentially the rationale it did not carry out”.
“It is not that we do not wish to comply with anyone’s concept.,” he mentioned of the Pink Bull idea. “We stayed with the slim sidepod, however you may see developments which may include upgrades. It’s not a core, basic a part of efficiency.
“Like Mike mentioned on the launch, if you wish to change an idea utterly, then you definitely’re making not one step again, however in all probability two or three, and that is why we stayed the place we’re.”
