2021 was the first time since those hybrid regulations that Mercedes experienced a power deficit. It impacted them to the point that they weren’t the outright favorites to win the constructors’ championship. Now, as we know, they did eventually win their eighth consecutive title. But only just.
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“We see it as an opportunity to show that we haven’t just been lucky over the years, we haven’t merely stumbled into a formula that is often talked about as the turbo-hybrid era,” James Allison, Mercedes F1’s tech chief recently said about the coming season.
He emphasized that the German team wants to prove that the notion, “we sort of stumbled into some god-given right to have been dominant,” is a wrong one.
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And if they want to maintain their superiority on top of the table, there are two key problems they must fix in their PU, especially considering the incoming engine freeze.
The two problems Mercedes F1 has to fix in 2022
First and foremost is the reliability issue that was a recurring problem in the middle of the season. In 2021, both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas had to replace more elements of the engine than is allowed in the regulations.
And the second ‘problem’ is to overcome the power deficit and restore their advantage over the rest of the constructors.
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Formula One F1 – Qatar Grand Prix – Losail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar – November 20, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during qualifying REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/Pool
To confront these problems, Mercedes are planning to introduce a radically new turbocharger for W13.
According to a recent report, Mercedes officials theorize that the performance gain from an increased turbo outweighs the decrease in aero efficiency caused by the new size. This is something the chassis team has also given a green signal to.
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And as a result, it is expected that Mercedes will have the best engine in all kinds of conditions, which is something they suffered from in circuits like Mexico.
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