Like many seasons, Mercedes came up with a radical idea in 2022 with the zero-design side pods. However, the gamble did not pay off, as the team took an epic drubbing it hadn’t endured in the past many years. Lewis Hamilton for the first time, went a full season without a win, while George Russell scored the team’s only one. However, the Silver Arrows’ engineers have given a big update that could worry their Red Bull and Ferrari counterparts.

With new ground-effect regulations introduced by the FIA in 2022 came the monstrous problem of bouncing for Mercedes. High-speed straights took a huge toll on drivers’ health, something that the ruling body had overlooked. Lewis Hamilton was the worst affected by the problem, however, towards the end of the season, the team successfully overcame the issue. It was too late until then though, as the season was almost over.

Now it looks like the Brackley-based outfit is ready to get back on top. RacingNews365’s technical analyst Paolo Filisetti reported, “As for the power source, the engineers led by Hywel Thomas, who have already started the engine once, are convinced that the performance is in line with that of Honda and Ferrari. A huge effort has been made in collaboration with Petronas to optimize combustion, which has also improved consumption thanks to a new fuel composition.” [Translated using Google]

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Team boss Toto Wolff had earlier told that the 2023 car would not necessarily look different from the 2022 car. He did, however, assure that the car from the inside will be vastly different. Toto did not reveal what exactly will change. Was he talking about the power unit?

Mercedes’ 2023 car will be “full of surprises”

The last few races in 2022 were the only saving grace for Mercedes. The final changes made ahead of the US Grand Prix finally gave them the pace to compete against Red Bull. While the Silver Arrows only won the race in Brazil, they were challenging enough to give rivals a run for their money. Finishing the last season well, they will look to carry forward the momentum in 2023.

Giving an update on the 2023 car while speaking with the media, including Planet F1, Toto Wolff said, “It’s full of surprises. The last time I saw it I thought ‘oh this looks the same [as the W13]’ but here’s hoping it’s not the same,” Toto continued. “I’m pretty much like you, I go into the wind tunnel and it looks like this year’s car, but they say to me it’s very different underneath.”

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Watch This Story: Lewis Hamilton Finds Himself in an Unusual Situation With His Teammate for the First Time Since 2007

Even Helmut Marko has regarded Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton as a bigger threat to his team than Charles Leclerc and Ferrari. It will be worth watching how many of these predictions will come true.