Mercedes-AMG W14 New Sidepod at Monaco 2023

Introducing this sidepod at a maximum downforce track like Monaco may be a testament that it works in producing the most amount of downforce by team Mercedes-AMG F1

Mercedes-AMG W14 has a new sidepod for the 2023 Monaco grand Prix. Its sidepod center intake profile has been raised which is now lateral rather than vertical rectangular. This will certainly clean up the lower top floor airflow towards the diffuser side plate section of the venturi tunnels. Before this, the intake would interrupt with the floor section which would have disrupted some airflow flowing on top of the floor.

The top rearward taper of the sidepod now has a more substantial look in influencing downflow towards the beam wing area than their last sidepod design. Their last sidepod design seem dependent on the wing shaped side impact structure for downwash and then utilized the rest of the sidepod surface area to work on airflow attachment to a solid body in influencing the airflow path to critical targeted areas.

This new design is a much more direct approach being much more dependent on the sidepod dimentions to influence airflow. It certain is an adaptation of how the other teams are influencing this area in downwash to get the most out of the rear section's downforce elements. One advantage their minimalist sidepod had was that they could move vortices around it with reduced interruption.