F1 Rumour: Mercedes To Adopt Red Bull Concept For 2024

Sky Sports F1 pundit Ted Kravitz has hinted at a significant shift in Mercedes' design approach for the upcoming 2024 season. Drawing from paddock rumours and Lewis Hamilton's recent comments, Kravitz suggests that Mercedes might be leaning towards the Red Bull concept for their W15 car.

Key Takeaways:

Mercedes' zero-sidepod design with the W13 in 2022 did not yield the desired results, prompting a rethink in their design strategy.
Red Bull's RB19 has been the dominant force this season, clinching the constructors' championship at the Japanese Grand Prix and winning all but one race in 2023 so far.
Other teams, including Haas and Aston Martin, are also showing a trend towards adopting designs reminiscent of Red Bull.

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Mercedes faced challenges with their W13 design in 2022. The zero-sidepod concept, introduced for the ground effect era, did not meet the team's expectations. This has led to speculations and rumours within the F1 community about a potential change in their design philosophy.

🚨 Ted Kravitz says the rumours he’s heard within the paddock coupled with Lewis’ interview comments clearly indicates that Mercedes will transition to the Red Bull concept for next season.
— Mercedes-AMG F1 News (@MercedesNewsUK) September 24, 2023

Red Bull's RB19 has set the gold standard this season. The team clinched the constructors' championship at the Japanese Grand Prix and has been nearly unbeatable, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz being the only other winner at the Singapore GP. The success of the RB19 has not gone unnoticed, with several teams looking to emulate aspects of its design.

Lewis Hamilton has also shown keen interest in the development of Mercedes' next car, the W15. This visit underscores the importance of the upcoming season for Mercedes and Hamilton, as they aim to reclaim their dominant position.

Lewis Hamilton says he is visiting Mercedes engineers in Brackley this week to check on the W15 in the wind tunnel “to see if they are making my requested changes.”

[@BBCSport] pic.twitter.com/s0j9kBr7In
— Mercedes-AMG F1 News (@MercedesNewsUK) September 25, 2023

As the current season progresses and teams gear up for the next, all eyes will be on Mercedes to see if they indeed adopt the Red Bull concept if it can help them return to the top.