Despite the information that has emerged in relation to the suspense of the chassis of the new Mercedes W13 in the FIA crash tests, the Anglo-German team has confirmed that they passed satisfactorily on January 13.
In a winter season in which there is much expectation to see what the new single-seaters of the teams of Formula 1, who have had to start from scratch with a new technical regulation, it is normal for information of all kinds to be produced in relation to the progress of the teams with their new machines.
However, not all of them are true and we have had the last example with the news arising from the alleged problems of Mercedes with the homologation of its chassis, specifically when it satisfactorily passed the side impact test.
FIA crash tests
And it is that, as confirmed by the Mercedes team itself, the chassis of its new car has passed all the mandatory crash tests, despite the stories that suggest otherwise: «The W13 completed its FIA homologation process on January 13, 2022. This includes the lateral compression test introduced this year,” he confirms.
The FIA crash-tests are more demanding every year with the aim of improving the safety of drivers in competition. Currently, hehe regulation prohibits a non-homologated vehicle from participating in any event organized by said federative body.
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When an issue occurs that prevents such homologation, teams are forced to slow down development to modify the chassis, also taking into account that the manufacture of a single unit takes several weeks of work.
By January, the team must have built at least three chassis: one for the crash-test, one to finish the first car and one to start the second single-seater. Between 20 and 25% of the staff of a team is directly involved in the construction of the chassis, working tirelessly and to the best of their abilities during that process: no vacations, no parties.
Do you want to know more about the manufacturing process of a Formula 1? Do not miss this article in which we delve into it.