Mercedes uninterested in RB19 floor’s ‘beauty’ as they seek to emulate Red Bull and build a beast for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff stated that the team does not care about how the floor of the RB19 looks visually as they are solely focused on how it functions and gives Red Bull an upper hand in performance.

During the 2023 F1 Monaco GP, Sergio Perez's RB19 crashed during qualifying and was picked up by a crane to remove it from the track.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff asked his team what they thought about the floor of the reigning world champion's car. Wolff explained how his group of engineers was solely interested in how the floor worked rather than its aesthetic beauty. He said (via PitDebrief):

"I asked a question to my engineering group [about the Red Bull floor], and they said that there are interesting things that one can analyze of their flow functions. They [the engineering group] weren't convinced about the beauty and the aesthetics of the floor. They were just interested in how it functions."

Mercedes and many other teams will be studying RB19's floor and trying to pull out anything useful for their own cars. As Mercedes is gradually taking a new path in developing their car, they are focused on how they can create a strong package for both their drivers.

Their most recent upgrade parts that were brought in for the 2023 F1 Monaco GP helped the team in the Spanish GP, as both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished on the podium.

The Silver Arrows have introduced a proper sidepod and also brought new front suspension, along with several floor changes. These upgrades and a slower tire degradation rate allowed them to have an upper hand on Aston Martin in Barcelona.

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Toto Wolff on gap between Mercedes and Red Bull in the 2023 F1 Spanish GP

Toto Wolff assessed the race weekend in Spain and how Mercedes have taken a massive step forward in closing the gap on the reigning world champions.

As reported by the Spanish department of Motorsport.com, Wolff stated that the lap time gap between the two teams was around two or three-tenths of a second, which is a huge achievement for the Brackley-based team. He said:

"The gap with Red Bull I think was two or three-tenths. That's my opinion and that's how we judge the weekend. It's a big step forward. But we have to stay calm because we also did well in Barcelona last year. We know more difficult times are coming but I'm happy with the work the team has done in Brixworth and Brackley."

Though Red Bull is still miles ahead of any other team, the Austrian believes that the Silver Arrows can further bridge the chasm. After the Spanish GP, Mercedes overtook Aston Martin and are now second in the constructors' championship with 152 points.