Mercedes chief makes SURPRISE 'zero pod' upgrade admission

Lewis Hamilton at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix — Photo: © LAT Images

Mercedes

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Mercedes chief makes SURPRISE 'zero pod' upgrade admission

The team have taken a significant step forward after their raft of changes

Dan Davis

Thursday 29 June 2023 09:57

Mercedes technical director James Allison has downplayed the significance of adding sidepods to the W14 in the team's recent upgrade package.

The heavyweight constructor has taken a significant leap forward in recent weeks after making a raft of changes ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, with boss Toto Wolff having admitted to initially taking the wrong design direction.

However, after Mercedes made a drastic pivot and altered their concept, both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have been able to deliver improved displays.

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The biggest visual change to this year's challenger saw the introduction of sidepods, a stark U-turn from their ill-fated 'zeropod' approach.

A sluggish start to the season led to Mike Elliott and Allison swapping roles, ensuring the latter became more hands-on with the technical elements of the car.

But Allison is adamant that the sidepods and Mercedes' notable improvements on the track are not connected.

Allison was brought back into his old role to help fix Mercedes' struggles

Allison: 'No secret' about Mercedes' success

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport in Germany, he said: Everything we changed about the car, we would have done with the old sidepods.

"There is no secret about it. We didn't sleep on anything.

"The shape of the sidepods, or better the engine cover, has nothing to do with what we did with the underbody or the front axle.

"As little as the geometry of the side panels explains the success of Red Bull, our old sidepods were not the reason for our problems.

"You will soon no longer be talking about the sidepods. The old shape will then only be a distant memory."

Mercedes will look to continue their promising uplift at the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend, with Hamilton having finished on the podium in Canada last time out.