Ferrari wants F1 clampdown over Mercedes' 'spaceship' mirrors

Mercedes’s upgraded W13 has proved to be the biggest talking point of the final pre-season test in Bahrain after the reigning world champions debuted a radical sidepod design on the opening day of running. 

The shape of Mercedes’ sidepods have attracted the attention of rival teams, prompting the first legality row of the 2022 season.

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto admitted Mercedes’ sidepods had caught his eye but trusts that the revolutionary concept is legal. 

“Looking at the Mercedes car, no doubt it is a great car,” he said. “That should not be a surprise to us. It is a concept quite different to the one we have got. I think it’s quite interesting with the cooling layout and the sidepods.” 

The revised sidepod design also includes an eye-catching change to the rear-wing assembly which is supported by the side-impact crash structure. 

Binotto suggested that a clampdown is needed over mirror design regulations because it was previously agreed that such elements would not be created for aerodynamic benefits.

"On the mirrors, it was surprising,” he added. “We were not expecting that.

"We always said the mirror should have not have any aero purpose, they should be there just to look behind, and the way they treated their cars, certainly there is a significant aero purpose in the mirrors themselves. It is something that we need to stop for the future, no doubt. 

"The risk in the future is that all teams will start designing mirrors that look like spaceships. In the spirit of what we intend to do for the future, it is something we need to discuss."