James Allison insists that the zero sidepods concept was not the reason for Mercedes’ downfall despite an upturn in form after ditching it

James Allision claimed that Mercedes could've made its recent changes to the old sidepod design as well.

James Allison insists that the zero sidepods concept was not the reason for Mercedes’ downfall despite an upturn in form after ditching it

James Allison, (image via PlanetF1)

The Mercedes F1 team fell behind Red Bull Racing with the start of the ground-effect era in Formula 1. The Silver Arrows went with an ambitious no-side pod design that failed to achieve the desired results. The Brackley-based team was forced to abandon its philosophy in favor of new side pods closer to Red Bull. Mercedes Technical Director James Allison claims that the side pods were not the cause of the team’s struggles.

Mercedes has seen a turnaround in its fortunes after adopting new sidepods, with Lewis Hamilton securing several podiums. However, Allison affirmed that the recent success was not related in any way to the change of the sidepods. He said, “Everything we changed on the car we could have done with the old sidepods. There is no secret about it. 

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The Mercedes Technical Director insisted that the Silver Arrows’s increased performance has come through changes in the underbody and the front axle. The sidepod or engine cover does not impact both parts. James believed that how sidepods did not cause the success of Red Bull. The no-side pods did not cause problems for Brackley. He stated, “As little as the geometry of the sidepods explains Red Bull’s success, our old sidepods were not the reason for our problems.”

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Mercedes zero sidepods to become a distant memory

Lewis Hamilton checking out the W14 sidepods in Monaco, (image via Motorsportmagazine.com)
Lewis Hamilton checking out the W14 sidepods in Monaco (image via Motorsportmagazine.com)

The new sidepods were introduced by the Silver Arrows at the Monaco GP. However, the package was meant for the canceled Emilia Romagna GP. Since then, Lewis Hamiton and George Russell have been able to compete at the front of the grid just behind the Red Bulls. Subsequently, James was convinced that people would stop talking about the previous sidepod design. He said, “The old shape will then only be a distant memory.”

Allison clarified that the team would’ve brought a B-spec chassis for the W14. However, the constraints of the F1 cost cap prevented Mercedes from making such a massive overhaul. The Silver Arrows set its sight on focusing on other important aspects of the car throughout 2023 before it can finally make big changes on its 2024 challenger.

Thus, James Allison has claimed that the unique zero sidepods were not the cause of Mercedes’ struggles. The Brackley-based team could’ve adopted its recent changes with its old design as well. Although, the Silver Arrows abandoned its ambitious design in favor of a more conventional philosophy followed by most of the grid.

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