Ever since team Mercedes announced their plans to test new upgrades in Imola, fans have been waiting for that ray of hope to provide some positive results. Even their ace driver, Lewis Hamilton, mentioned that he is counting down the days to Imola for new upgrades. But their plan was drained out because of a terrible flood in Northern Italy right before the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. And clearly, it was a big blow to chief Toto Wolff’s team’s plans.
The Brackley-based team was looking to get back on the right track from the car’s perspective, starting with the race weekend at Imola. But now they have decided to implement the modifications in the next race. However, the problem is the next Grand Prix race is on the iconic narrow streets of Monaco. That race track is not ideal for testing new upgrades because of the uneven turns and twists. Also, gathering the data from the communications will be really difficult for teams. However, looks like the Mercedes team is losing patience.
Why Monaco? Why Not Barcelona?
After the first five races this season, Mercedes is clearly way far behind Red Bull. On top of that, they also need to beat a new contender in the form of Aston Martin. Currently, the Silver Arrows are sitting in the third position on the constructor’s standings. They barely managed to secure a podium finish at the Australian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton winning his 192nd podium finish of his career. But the team had to plan for implementing new upgrades at a particular race track. As a result, Mercedes scheduled it for the sixth race of the season, Imola. But the race got washed out because of extreme flood conditions in Northern Italy. Now the team is running out of time and patience. Back then, there were 23 races, including the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Now the count has dropped down to 22 again. Hence, if they want to challenge Red Bull, then Mercedes must win a few races in the next few months.
The Red Bull team has already won all five races so far. Moreover, they are just fixed on confirming back-to-back constructors’ championship victories. However, the driver’s world championship would be a tricky affair because the two Red Bull drivers are looking at each other as a potential threat. But Mercedes are not willing to wait for the Spanish Grand Prix, which is more of an ideal place to test upgrades. The Barcelona track can help in the smooth running of the car with better communication. On the other hand, Monaco will be very tricky. Adding to the burning fuel is Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who suggests that the new modifications won’t be as good as putting them right up front with Red Bull but definitely a step forward. Looks like the Brackley team is keen to beat the new challengers, Aston Martin, at first.
Is There A Chance That Mercedes May Lose Hamilton Soon?
Lewis Hamilton is 38 at present and is eager to win the coveted championship for the record eighth time. Fans and experts speculate if he can achieve that goal by staying in Mercedes or should start looking elsewhere.
Recently, Team Ferrari might have shown interest in signing the seven-time champion. However, the question is, what does the Briton say to that? Lewis Hamilton mentioned several times that as long as his communication is perfect with Toto Wolff, he won’t look elsewhere.