As the team is open to the fact that the 2023 F1 car’s design has gone the wrong way, it’s inevitable that the most intuitive changes will be the biggest evidence that it’s doing things differently.

But amid much discussion about the “concept” of Formula 1, Mercedes has been eager to emphasize that there is a big difference between a transformation of the car’s appearance and a change of appropriate philosophical step.

Earlier this year, Mercedes track engineering chief Andrew Shovlin admitted the team was guilty of associating the word “concept” with its sidepods too much.

“Maybe we’ve adopted the word concept to mean side pods,” he explained.

“The car is an evolution of what we had last year, a lot of it had to do with our side-impact structure. So now we’re looking at a bigger departure because obviously that hasn’t given us the performance we wanted.

“Having said that, we know that other aspects of the car need to be improved as well. If we put a different-looking sidepod on it, it would be very wrong to think that all the gaps would go away.

“The reality is that the vast majority of the gap will come from other performance areas.”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14

Photography: Simon Galloway / motorsport pictures

As work on the Imola changes continues, Mercedes has now provided an intriguing explainer of what it thinks the concept changes are and aren’t – and it’s very clear that things go well beyond the vision of its minimalist sidepods Exterior.

Where the lines can become blurred is when the Mercedes zeropod is not a key aspect of the car concept. Rather, they are just one element of an overall philosophical approach to the team’s downforce delivery position.

A rival team said it also evaluated the zeropod idea because it could see great potential for peak downforce levels that could result from exposing a larger floor area – especially if the car could run very close to the ground.

However, the company dropped the idea as it decided that it would be difficult to achieve such levels of downforce in the real world due to curved floors, uneven track surfaces and the risk of dolphins – which is what Mercedes will do in 2022. the price paid.

How and where F1 cars generate downforce seems to be at the heart of the ‘concept’ idea, rather than the sidepod shapes we can all see.

In that regard, last year Mercedes paid the price for chasing peak downforce, driving the car as low to the ground as possible – something that couldn’t be achieved due to the bounce/dolphin effect.

This year, the team is doing the opposite, chasing downforce as high as possible. It quickly found that it had reached the upper limit of aerodynamic performance – which is what prompted the “concept” change.

Andrew Shovlin, Director of Track Engineering, Mercedes-AMG

Photography: Steve Etherington/ motorsport pictures

As Mercedes now explains: “When we talk about aerodynamics, we’re not just talking about the shape and body of the car.

“It’s also about how we use the car, how we control the car, how we improve the balance and the setup to work with the aerodynamic components. Because these factors also affect the aerodynamic performance on the track.”

While some aerodynamic performance does come from visual elements like the wings (front and rear) and sidepods, the biggest gains come from how airflow is managed under the car and through the diffuser.

So that’s why changes in that area — like the Venturi tunnel design, where the car drives relative to the ground, its rake and its ride platform — are more important than changing the shape of the bonnet or sidepods.

Mercedes added: “When doing bodywork or aerodynamic upgrades to a car, does the team therefore bring a new ‘car concept’?

“Well, the answer is… no. That’s because cars are constantly changing and evolving. There’s a lot more to it than you see.

“We can start with a theory about the best possible direction. Each department knows what is needed and we bring these different aspects together. The goal: to get a car that the team can perform at its best.

“From that starting point though, it’s an evolving picture. At every step of the design, testing and manufacturing process, we’re learning. Every lap completed on the track allows us to build on our understanding and develop.

“The result of this process is a car that combines hundreds of ideas from its initial launch to crossing the finish line in Abu Dhabi.”

While there’s been a lot of talk about the F1 grid being divided into three concept groups – a Red Bull-style downwash solution, a Ferrari inwash solution and a Mercedes zeropod – things aren’t quite that simple.

In fact, the real difference between the teams has more to do with the direction in which they strive for the perfect setup and aerodynamic platform.

As Mercedes says: “So the ‘car concept’ has nothing to do with what you actually see on the track. It’s about the theory and understanding of all the elements that go into making a car as fast as possible. It’s always a moving Target.

“We don’t just start with a concept and nothing more. The game is about learning as much, faster and deeper than our opponents.”

So when Mercedes unveiled its new sidepod at Imola, it wasn’t a definitive answer to a change to its concept, but a step toward what it hopes will ultimately be a race-winning car first step.