Mercedes hoping to solve 'onion layer after onion layer' of car problems over winter break

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that most of the problems with their car will hopefully be resolved over the winter break. The Austrian team chief believes that improving their aerodynamic performance will play a key role in bringing a competitive challenger for the 2023 F1 season.

Asked by Sportskeeda about the development of the 2023 Mercedes car and the expectations from it, Wolff said:

"I think we much better understand what the problems were, with the peeling onion layer after onion layer of this car with more issues and more problems. But I think we have come to a point that we understand pretty well why the car is not performing. As I said before, the correlation of this is there for some tracks."

The Mercedes team principal further said:

"So it's all in the fine detail of how can we make the car work aerodynamically, how can we improve the ride and make it more stable as a basis. It's multiple factors that contribute to a car that's simply just not good enough. And I think if we are able to solve that out over the winter, at least we can provide a stable platform to the drivers and we can develop it from there."

Stating that the team understands the problems with their car much better now, Wolff believes that resolving most of their issues was similar to peeling layers of an onion. The Mercedes boss feels that if they improve the aerodynamic stability of their car, they will be able to provide their drivers with a better platform for next season.

The Mercedes boss felt that the W13 had multiple issues which were complicated to resolve and compromised their performance significantly in the 2022 F1 season. Wolff said that the Mercedes W13 will have a special place (very far back) in their collection and is not one that will be remembered fondly apart from its domination at the 2022 F1 Brazilian GP.

Reviewing the performance of the Mercedes W13 in 2022, Wolff said:

“So I think this car will always have a special place in our collection. Very far back. But I think that hopefully the next year will do her justice. Because the learning curve with that car wasn’t honest. Our fundamental understanding of aerodynamic, behaviour dynamics, correlation has had a step change, is gone through a steps change of learning. It will also not be forgotten as a car that dominated the Brazilian Grand Prix.”

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Mercedes almost signed Daniel Ricciardo according to Toto Wolff

Toto Wolff admitted to having conversations with Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo for a reserve role before he signed with Red Bull. The Mercedes chief believes it is difficult to understand why the team and driver's chemistry did not bring out the best of the Australian at Ricciardo's former team, McLaren. However, Wolff believes that the 32-year-old deserves to be on the F1 grid and hopes it works out well with him and Red Bull.

Speaking to on-site media, including Sportskeeda in Abu Dhabi, the Mercedes team boss said:

"Yeah there were discussions and I mean he’s a super guy which is nothing to say. It is a shame he’s not in a cockpit because Daniel Ricciardo needs to be in a race car. But it didn’t happen, nobody understands why it didn’t happen in the years with McLaren didn’t work out like all the previous years did."

Toto further mentioned:

"I remember from the junior series, he was always there. So I think basically we just needed time to figure out what we wanted to do and Red Bull was his home for a long time and he knows the people and hopefully it is a good deal there."

Daniel Ricciardo was linked with the Brackley-based squad before he signed with Red Bull as the third driver. However, his familiarity with his former team and the option of a similar reserve role opportunity there made his decision an easy one. The outgoing McLaren driver mentioned to Sportskeeda that he wanted a break from the sport and Red Bull seemed like a place where he could either reinvent his mojo or evaluate his options for the future.