After falling short of performance targets for the start of the 2023 F1 season and falling further behind Red Bull, Mercedes has made the big decision to change the layout of its W14 car.

A new floor and sidepod concept and a suspension redesign are getting ready in time for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola later this month.

Under F1’s restrictive budget cap, set at a base cap of $135 million, excluding allowances for more than 21 races, sprint weekends and adjustments for inflation, such large-scale changes have been challenging.

The Brackleys can no longer throw unlimited resources at them to turn things around during a disappointing season.

This rigorous process is also accompanied by complex cost analysis and management, which team leader Wolf calls a “painful process.”

“The cost cap puts a lot of constraints,” he said.

“In the past, we didn’t even know how much the front suspension cost, whereas today we need to calculate the purchase price of the aluminum, and then factor in the machining cost, need to price every bolt that goes into the suspension from the aluminum that you don’t need, You buy carbon as a raw material and then cut it and put it in…

“What is the cost of energy for a composite room, the overhead that goes into it, and finally the product.

“It’s very complex, and we have cost analysts, engineers, who need to decide whether buying that kilo of aluminum is worth the performance gain on the other side.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14

Photography: Mark Sutton/ motorsport pictures

“The process is so difficult and painful; people who are supposed to be only creative and have carte blanche, they can’t because they’re told if it’s feasible within the cost cap.

“That’s why it’s so important that everyone adheres to the cost cap. If you’re overshooting, every 10,000 counts.”

Wolff admitted that Mercedes would have liked to bring a new chassis and “double the upgrades” if it could, although he remains a big proponent of the cost cap.

“It’s more difficult for us than before because if we were completely free we would bring a different chassis,” he said.

“So, what we really have to decide carefully is what we want to upgrade. We’re bringing a new front suspension to the Imola and the aerodynamic upgrades and floor that come with it.

“But if we were free, we might bring double the upgrade.

“Again, I think a cost cap in Formula 1 is necessary, and if you tell me a cost cap yes or no, I’ll take it every day of the week. It’s important to make the sport sustainable, but we need to adapt . “