The centrepiece to those changes was made to its sidepods, and builds on the conceptual shift taken at the Monaco Grand Prix when it opted to abandon the 'zeropod' concept used since the start of the current ground effect era.

Mercedes had switched to a wider, downwash ramp-style solution in a similar vein to its rivals, but it appears it cannot go as aggressive with the bodywork shaping as it would like, so only really has a makeshift solution.

That is because the team has to be sympathetic to the position of its upper SIS (Side Impact Structure) and the fairing that envelopes it.

Mercedes is unable to alter this area of the car, as it would require a new chassis to be homologated, which is something that’s unattainable during the course of the season due to the cost cap.

While drama

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