Mercedes admits: 'Red Bull has the best concept at the moment'

Since the introduction of the new Formula 1 regulations, different concepts have been introduced. Mercedes remained faithful to its own zero side pod concept through 2022, but may have to abandon it towards the new season. Andrew Shovlin admits that Adrian Newey was right in his design of the RB18 this year and that Red Bull Racing currently have the best concept.

Mercedes surprised friend and foe with the sensational design of the W13, but the concept has done little good for the German team so far. Whether the team will choose to go in a completely different direction is not yet clear, but Shovlin admits that various concepts are being considered. At the same time, he stresses that the rule changes for 2023 will also require a different approach to how teams develop their cars.

Shovlin acknowledges superiority of Newey's RB18

When it comes to the current Formula One season, Shovlin is clear which team has the best concept. "You'd always say that the fastest car is the one that's got the best concept, so, you know, today that's going to be Red Bull. Where that goes into next year it’s difficult to say," Mercedes' trackside engineering director said at the press conference for the Italian Grand Prix.

Early on in the season Newey proved to have done a great job with the RB18, which seems to have only gotten stronger during the year. That concept too will undoubtedly be considered by Mercedes, which has not yet decided which way to go. "Certainly we, as a team, have not fixed what our car is going to look like. We're still exploring different concepts. And that process will go on for some time, but we're just looking for what will give us the best development opportunity in those new regulations going forward," Shovlin said.