It was only on Saturday that reports emerged that Red Bull Racing had failed its frontal crash test, forcing them to delay announcing the start date of RB18. And now, barely a day later, Red Bull has found itself in competitor Mercedes, as the Silver Arrows also failed the FIA test and homologation.
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So far, four teams including Ferrari, McLaren, AlphaTauri and Haas have passed the crash tests. On the other hand, Red Bull recently failed the front-end crash test that Mercedes did. However, the Brackley team ended up in the side crash test instead.
Formula One F1 – Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – December 5, 2021 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in action with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas during Race Pool via REUTERS/Andrej Isakovic
As such, Mercedes and Red Bull remain two of the few teams so far to have received FIA approval to take part in pre-season testing in Barcelona. To get it, Mercedes not only has to complete the failed test, but also complete other upcoming new tests.
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Therefore, the team led by Toto Wolff faces a long process. But there doesn’t seem to be any major concern just yet.
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This is certainly one of the biggest concerns for Mercedes F1 fans. But the good news: the German manufacturers themselves are not worried about this obstacle.
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According to Motorsport, James Allison and Mike Elliot, chief technical officer, already have a plan B to fix the problem. The worst case scenario? The start date of Mercedes’ 2022 challenger will not be February 18, but possibly later this week or ahead of the Barcelona tests, which begin on February 23.
Formula One F1 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan – June 5, 2021 Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in action during qualifying REUTERS/Anton Vaganov
Nothing to worry about for the defending champion. The fact that Red Bull is also part of this hurdle will further reduce the pressure on the Silver Arrows.
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Overall, this is certainly an undesirable speed bump for Mercedes. And it’s very clear that both Red Bull and Mercedes are working hard to look for ways to maximize the new regulatory changes. With more testing to come, how do you think the Brackley outfit will fare?
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