The rumors were flying through new skies screaming that Mercedes was about to bring a very different design of the first challenger they brought to the first round of pre-season testing at Barcelona, in February.

The World Champions didn’t disappoint, showing an impressive design of the W13 sidepods, at the first session of pre-season testing in Bahrain, and Toto Wolff stated he was very proud of the innovative strings the team pushes in order to maintain their victorious legacy on the sport.

Big changes at @MercedesAMGF1 since the last time we were on track 👀#F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/6oPKiH9vQS

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 10, 2022

“I think we are really proud of what we have achieved in terms of concept,” said Wolff, “but now we need to make it go fast. I think it’s a development direction that we like, and it’s about tuning the car and so we are experimenting a lot, as we’ve done during the day, and approaching it with curiosity.”

Nevertheless, the striking concept Mercedes brought to the testing in Bahrain has caught the attention of all teams in the paddock but Wolff is certain that, if the 8-time-World-Constructors-Champions would have thought the design was set to be avowed illegal, they would have never used it.

“The process is very clear: when you go in a specific development direction that you deem as having the FIA a part of scrutinizing it, you are exchanging CAD [computer-aided design] data. You’re making them part of the process.”

“It’s clear that sometimes when you come with an innovation it creates the kind of debate that we’re having here and that was expected,” Wolff said.

“If a team comes up with an innovation, you can’t take it off the car if it’s compliant with the regulations. The FIA/F1 will handle it with diligence in the spirit of the sport. We were keen on not running alone with that, and we’ve been in touch with the FIA and that’s why I think it will be OK.”

Wolff’s colleagues and rivals had their say on the topic, as Ferrari and Red Bull prepare to face yet another year looking out to take the championship out of the German team, a thing they haven’t been able to do since 2013.

Last year's top three teams have such unique designs in 2022! 🔀#F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/ysGBCmprup

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 10, 2022

Mattia Binotto said: “Not a surprise to us, great car, good concept, quite a different look to the one we’ve got. Cooling layout, positioning. And sidepods, again, something looking quite interesting.”

“On the legality overall, I would be surprised if Mercedes is doing something illegal. So that’s not the point.”

But the Italian remarked another part of the new Mercedes challenger design: “On the mirrors, I’m more surprised, I find that quite surprising, something we’re not expecting.”

“Already in the past, we said the mirrors should have no aero purpose. They should be there just to look behind and I think the way that they design the cars has a significant aero purpose in the mirrors.”

“[It’s] something that we need to stop for the future no doubt because the risk is that we will come and all the teams will start designing mirrors that look like spaceships. I don’t think that’s what we’re looking for as F1.”

Christian Horner, on the other hand, wasn’t so cautious in his statements about Mercedes’ noticeable changes.

"I haven't paid a great deal of attention to it. It is obviously a fairly different concept, but that is for the aero guys and the designers to get into," he explained, talking about the W13 almost non-existent sidepods.

However, regarding the W13 mirrors, the Red Bull Team Principal was very clear: "For us, these wings are illegal."

"Mercedes have gone a step too far. That does not correspond to the spirit of the regulations," the British boss is quoted by Auto Motor Und Sport.

As Ross Brawn stated, he did not expect such a radical concept to be produced on this area of new regulations in the category developing this year, meanwhile, the FIA is determining how to proceed on all the comments about Mercedes’ mirrors and new design as the former Ferrari technical director said: “We will go back and investigate those solutions and make sure they maintain the objectives of the new rules. I think they do”