Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Formula 1 boss, is confident of changing “DNA” of W13 in 2023. The team is confident to resolve the chassis issues next year.
So far, Mercedes has failed to win a single race this year. It struggled to take a fight against Red Bull and Ferrari under revised technical regulations.
The season could end without a single win for the team. But the German team has made progress with its troubled car over the season. It has showed strength against its rival, recently at US Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton, seven times world champion, has remained out of the title battle throughout the season. However, he came close to winning the race in the United States.
The final upgrade to his W13 car provided hope to the team. He lost the lead with seven laps and finished second on the podium.
Wolff on DNA
Mercedes expressed its intention to exploit the remainder of the season for next year. It intends to overhaul its 2023 car design, utilizing the current diagnosis of W13.
“The DNA of the car is going to change for next year, that’s clear,” said Wolff.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean that our bodywork is going to look very different. But certainly what is part of the DNA of the car, the architecture of the car, will change for next year.”
At start of the season, Mercedes faced porpoising issues with its W13. However, root cause analysis showed issue deep rooted in its design. It introduces its first major upgrade at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Red Bull remains unmatched at the straight line speed throughout the year. The gap remained evident at US GP, when Max Versatappen easily recovered to first place.
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Hamilton expected the big win, but was disappointed to see Verstappen’s advantage on the straights.
“I think, under DRS they’re like 35 km/h faster than us,” he said. “If we’re behind them, we’re like, 22k faster, I think it is, with DRS on the back straight. So he came from a long, long way back.
“But even without the DRS, I think they’re still something like 8 km/h up on us. So we’ve got a lot of time being lost on the straight. Probably four-tenths at least a lap. And so we’ve got some improvements to make for next year’s car.”
