Mercedes unveils new sidepod design at testing

At the Bahrain pre-season test, Mercedes debuted a significantly revised W13 featuring a reworked sidepod and floor design compared to the version run at Barcelona. The new sidepods have a narrow, high cooling inlet that is wider at the bottom than the top, removing the undercut and allowing components to be packaged low and close to the car's centreline. The side impact structure is now fully detached from the sidepod, functioning as a separate wing element supporting the mirrors and winglets, a feature Red Bull's Christian Horner suggested may not follow "the spirit of the rules." Mercedes also added floor fences to manage front-wheel turbulence, while the previous wavy floor edge seen at Barcelona has been removed.