Mercedes has made public for the first time its long-awaited raft of updates it hopes is the first step towards propelling it back into the fight for grand prix victories.
The key element is a new sidepod design that is considerably different to its long-held belief in the ‘size zero’ philosophy it has run since the introduction of new aerodynamic regulations at the start of last season.
The sidepods that will now make their debut throughout this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix – following the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna GP in Imola where they were due to be seen for the first time – are a switch to a more conventional downwashing concept.
Away from the bodywork, there is also a new floor, and in terms of aiding drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell achieve greater stability with the car, there is also a new front suspension.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has already made clear the package is the first step of many, and while clearly a shift away from the previous concept in which it held considerable faith, he concedes it is not “a silver bullet”.
As to how much Mercedes will learn from updates around the tight confines of Monte-Carlo is open to question.
“The revised calendar means that Monaco is now the starting point of the European leg of the season,” said Wolff.
“It is a unique event but will still provide an opportunity to learn about the upgrades to W14 – but we also need to be careful not to draw too many conclusions from this one event. We are introducing the first step in a new development direction.
“It won’t be a silver bullet. From my experience, they do not exist in our sport. We hope that it gives the drivers a more stable and predictable platform. Then we can build on that in the weeks and months ahead.”
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