Mercedes finally considers concept change: "Very difficult situation"

Mercedes has long held onto the W13 concept, convinced of the car's potential. However, after the disappointing Grand Prix weekend in Belgium, Toto Wolff admits that the team should consider abandoning the 'zero sidepod' concept.

Wolff admits Mercedes are in a 'difficult situation' in reaching a conclusion on the concept of the car. While the team continues to struggle to understand the problems of the W13, time is running out if the German stable is to play a role in the world championship again next year.

Mercedes considers concept change

Mercedes will therefore either have to move in a new direction, or experiment with the current car as the focus gradually shifts to 2023. In this, however, the budget ceiling is a major constraint. "It's a very difficult situation," Wolff admitted to Motorsport.com.

Should the team opt for a concept change, it is likely to go far beyond just changing the side pods. According to Wolff, all parts of the W13 must be evaluated, after which the team must decide what to stick with and what to let go of.

Because of the cost cap, Mercedes does not have the option to introduce a new chassis at this stage, and because the focus has been on trying out parts to solve the many problems, the W13 continues to suffer from a huge overweight. "So we can't afford that, full stop," says Wolff. The Mercedes boss therefore acknowledges that he has painfully found that Formula 1 has reached the intended goal of the budget ceiling: big teams can no longer just throw money around, and that makes the German racing stable's situation all the more difficult.