Mercedes and Red Bull fail FIA crash tests

An Italian news report says Mercedes has failed an FIA static crash test on the side of the W13 in a similar way to Red Bull.

Mercedes, according to the Italian branch of Motorsport.com, tried an “extreme solution” regarding the design of their car, but after failing the crash test a few days ago, the team has reverted to a “plan B” option that was already in place if their ambitious design failed, meaning “no problems other than a slight delay” in completing the construction of their car.

According to the same report, Red Bull failed a crash test on the front of the RB18, but Adrian Newey is sure that the issue will be resolved promptly in time for testing in Barcelona in February.

Crash tests conducted by the FIA are an important element of the process of getting Formula 1 cars authorized and homologated prior to the start of the new season, as they must demonstrate that they can meet the governing body’s stringent safety criteria in the event of an accident.

The teams have been working hard to finalize their car designs ahead of the new age of Formula 1, which, according to Mercedes design leader James Allison, will see the sport’s greatest rule revisions in its history.

He discussed the difficulties of constructing a car to the new regulations, which he claims involve twice as much paperwork from the FIA and more laws to follow.

“It has been incredibly hard, Very challenging, and long, to get our heads around this and to try to figure out what the best response is to these regulations,” Allison said.

“… and where the opportunity is to be found in order to put a car on the track in a few short weeks from now, that gives us a chance of being competitive right from the beginning.”