Mercedes on interesting design choice Red Bull: "We'll think about that"

After the newly designed Formula 1 cars made their first appearances in Barcelona, a number of things stood out. One much-discussed item is the "porpoising" a bouncing effect seen on the straight of the cars. Adrian Newey's new car also drew a lot of attention. Red Bull Racing's design has not escaped Mercedes' notice either, as technical director Mike Elliott admitted.

The biggest change to the F1 cars for 2022 is in the area of aerodynamics. Therein, Elliott says, lies as always the challenge in figuring out what is possible within the new regulations. One unexpected effect of the newly designed cars is so-called 'porpoising', something that Mercedes also hopes to find a solution for as soon as possible.

"It's a problem we all face," the Brit explained in a video on the official YouTube-channel of Formula 1. A lot of attention will be paid to the problem in the near future, with the simulator also playing an important role. "Now it's about how we're going to solve it, or how we deal with it and mitigate it in the first few races," he added.

Of course, the competition is also being closely watched. So it has not escaped Mercedes' notice that Red Bull Racing has gone for some striking design choices. "The most visually different I think are the side pods that Red Bull Racing have come up with. Looks interesting, so we'll go and have a think about that," Elliott concluded.