Mercedes’ “extreme” sidepods – or lack of – could be the first significant test for Formula 1’s new regulations, Ross Brawn claims.
After rumours of a radical upgrade in the build-up to the second pre-season test in Bahrain, the Brackley-based team confirmed them by revealing a bold new look on their W13 on the opening day of action on Thursday.
Naturally, the ‘zeropod’ concept quickly became the talk of the paddock, with F1 motorsport boss Brawn admitting his team had overlooked the idea during the development of the 2022 cars.
“I think there’s no doubt that the Mercedes concept we didn’t anticipate, it’s a very extreme interpretation of the regulations, and I think there’s going to be a lot of inevitable debate about their interpretation,” he said via F1TV.
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“That’s what happens with new regulations: however hard you try to close off the options – and, believe me, we closed off hundreds of them – the innovations in F1 are always extreme.
“From our perspective, it’s largely about, does it affect the objective of the regulations? The teams want to be sure that no team has taken an interpretation that they feel is correct. I think there will be a lot of debate.”
Soon after it was revealed, a disputed quote from Red Bull boss Christian Horner emerged claiming some parts “were not legal” on the revised Mercedes.
Toto Wolff has since insisted the FIA has given the design the green light legally, but Brawn admits that may change if other teams could argue a case against it.
“I think you have to be fair, I think when a team comes up with an idea, with innovation, with novelty, you shouldn’t penalise it straight away,” he said.
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“But I think as it’s understood more by the FIA really, as a regulator of the sport, they know everything that’s going on there and I think they’re okay with it so far.
“But of course, a team may come in and raise an objection that the FIA hadn’t considered and then you have a problem.
“But it’s impressive for a set of rules, which everybody said was too prescriptive. We’re seeing all these solutions.”
Another possibility in 2022 is the teams could simply decide to change the rules and ban such ideas as the ‘zeropod’.
“In the past, we needed everybody to agree to a change in the season but now you can make a change with 80% of the teams agreeing as long as the FIA and F1 also agree,” said Brawn.
“So I think once the interpretation Mercedes has made has been understood, then we can get a balanced view on its impact and what impact it’s going to have.
“Spirit is such a grey area. At the end of the day, you have to go on the wording of the regulations. But that wording can be changed with an 80% team majority, we can change the wording.
“If something has slipped by, then the teams are aware that that can happen. So that could happen live during the season so we’ll have to see how this one plays out.”