New Mercedes design causes stir in testing

AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly had the fastest time in Formula One pre-season testing in Bahrain, where much focus was on the new-look Mercedes car and American team Haas missing the morning start after some of its equipment didn’t arrive on time.

Gasly clocked 1 minute 33.9 seconds on the 5.4-kilometre desert track in Sakhir with the session under floodlights ending a few minutes early with a red flag after Red Bull driver Sergio Perez got stuck in a gravel trap.

Gasly finished ahead of Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc, while seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was 11th in the sleeker Mercedes W13.

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His Mercedes has attracted attention because it has much narrower sidepods compared to testing in Barcelona two weeks ago.

The triangular slit for the radiator inlets could improve airflow by providing a higher cooling speed, and thus improving downforce.

Team principal Toto Wolff said there were no issues and that the design had been given the all-clear by governing body FIA.

“We are really proud of what we have achieved in terms of concept,” he said. “But now we need to make it go fast. I think it’s a development direction that we like, and it’s about tuning the car and so we are experimenting a lot.”

F1 managing director Ross Brawn was among those expressing surprise at the new Mercedes design.

“There are some very extreme interpretations of the regulations which could lead to a lot of debate,” he told F1 TV.

“We did not anticipate the Mercedes concept.”

But Red Bull distanced themselves from early reports that they were unhappy about the new-look Mercedes.

“We have made no official comment regarding Mercedes’ car and will not be doing so,” the team said in a statement.

Haas, who recently fired Russian driver Nikita Mazepin and dropped their Russian sponsor Uralkali, did not run in the morning because a freight delivery problem meant their cars weren’t ready. They did get reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi out in the afternoon.

Haas have hired Danish driver Kevin Magnussen to replace Mazepin, having fired him at the end of 2020.

New Mercedes design causes stir in testing
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