Mercedes takes design U-turn to beat Ferrari

This resulted in a large-scale update arriving in Monaco with further adaptations being implemented throughout the remainder of the season.

Let’s take a detailed look at some of the car’s finer details in full, and how that big development programme was rolled out to overtake Ferrari for second place in the Constructors’ Championship.

A comparison of the W13 and W14, showing how the zeropod’s inlet had been pushed back for 2023.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Mercedes W14 brake detail

A look at the front brake assembly without the drum in place gives us a glimpse of the collar used to hold some of the internal fairings in place.

Mercedes W14, floor detail

A close up of the forward portion of the W14’s floor, including the mini-scroll section with a row of vortex generators housed on it and a perforated Gurney arrangement above it, while aft of that is the taller scroll section of the edge wing with a divisible strake on the surface.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Mercedes W14 technical detail

Beneath the covers of the W14 we’re able to see how the radiators and ancillaries are package around the power unit and sidepods.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Mercedes W14 steering wheel detail

The back of the Mercedes steering wheel shows a single wishbone paddle gearshift lever at the top and an elongated single paddle clutch arm runs across the bottom, which is fitted with a finger socket to help modulate the release.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Mercedes W14 front wing

Mercedes continued to employ a variation of the open-ended front wing flap and endplate juncture in 2023, although it also included two new winglets above the rear elements.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Mercedes W14 middle wing detail

Having pushed the zeropod’s inlet further back, the side impact spar (SIS) wing fairing became more of an independent surface.

Photo by: Uncredited

Mercedes W14 detail

The W14’s rear brake assembly without the drum in place allows us to see how the caliper is fed cool air by its fairing.

Photo by: Uncredited

Mercedes W14 technical detail

Another view of the scrolled edge wing design, which notably has metal support brackets that are positioned and shaped to improve their aerodynamic output.

Photo by: Uncredited

Mercedes W14 technical detail

A close up of the SIS fairing, the wing mirror, vortex generators…