The ‘zeropod’ idea formed at the start of the ground effect era, 🧜at the start of 2022, but Mercedes have ceded domination of Formula 1 to Red Bull ever since.

A more conventional design has been promised for the 2024 W15 car after two seasons following the flawed idea to have a different sidepod design to every other F1൲ team.

Mercedes tech♉nical director Allison was asked by Sky if they regret sticking to their guns over the concept.

He responded: “Well, I don’t quite see the world the same way you guys do, lookin﷽g at a sidepod and deciding that’s a conc𒀰ept. 

“We definitely took a path ♑with our car and I would say that’s from the tip of the nose to the very back of the tail which was ꦰnot a competitive one. 

“The mo🦂st visually noticeable aspect were our sidepods of course. 

“But by no means the definitive factor. 

“It was not right from front to back and that’s the thing we’ve had🐠 to learn ꦉand have to deal with. 

“That’s taken us longer than we would have liked but the sidepods are maybe emblematic of a team that took too long to figure out which way was up but by no means the distinguishing fe♌ature that sealed our fate.”

Mercedes’ woes were quickly identified when t𒊎hey were edged out at the opening round by Aston Martin, their customer team.

McLaren would later take over a⛄s fighting for the podium in the latter half of the season.

Mercedes failed to win a grand prix for the first time since 2011, having won just once las🃏t year.

Allison was brought back as their technical director, to replace the outgoing Mike 🌸Elliott, as Mercedes aim to get back to winning ways ಌin 2024.

Sky’s David Croft reported optimism from the Mercedes camp at the third-from-last race of the year: “It’s a confi💎dence that the direction is right, thaꦉt the technical department is fully aligned and working in tandem - chassis and aero, with each other.

“I think the fact that James Allison has come back and taken a more keen interest, after m☂oving away a little bit at the start of the season, and replacing Mike Elliott as technical director before he departed, I think that 🐎has gone down very well with Lewis Hamilton.”