"They’re going to do a Red Bull copy next year"- Former F1 driver predicts Mercedes' plans ahead of 2023 season

Former F1 driver Marc Surer believes that Mercedes will copy Red Bull's concept of aerodynamic design in the 2023 season to start winning again. He said that the team hasn't built a "perfect chassis this year," costing them the loss of many points because of the slow pace. But since Mercedes are focused on next year's cars, there is a possibility that they might be somewhat similar to Red Bull.

“Mercedes did not build the perfect chassis this year, they’re going to do a Red Bull copy next year, conceptually at least, and then they’ll be back.”

After the changes in the regulations this year, all of the teams were using two different side pod designs; inwash & downwash. Mercedes, on the other hand, chose a different concept of "zero sidepods." This concept, though unique, has been largely blamed for the struggles the team had at the start of the season. Their cars kept bouncing on straights, making them lose speed. This porpoising affected them greatly, and though they made their way to the podium, they haven't won a single race this season until now. Apparently, this design does not stabilize the floor enough, making the car bounce on straights.

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Surer believes porpoising was 'helpful' to Mercedes in some way

Marc Surer said that the porpoising issue has helped the team one way or other since now they understand more about the car's aerodynamics, which could potentially help them in building the 2023 car. He mentioned:

“Of course you have a backlog when you make the new concept, on the other hand, they learned an incredible amount with their porpoising. And I think that experience wasn’t for nothing. That means that they got a handle on a problem, better than others I have to say.”

Although Mercedes have improved a lot throughout the season and secured third place in the standings, they are still far from a race win. Lewis Hamilton & George Russell are both amazing drivers who have brought the W13 in the top 3 a lot of times. This has helped the team in grabbing a total of 371 points.

As we head to the Singapore Grand Prix, the team is still working hard for a win this season. However, if they do not manage to do that, it would be the first time since 2011 that they would have to go through a winless season; and it would be Lewis Hamilton's first ever season without a win.