Now that the 2023 F1 season’s opener, the Bahrain Grand Prix, is over, all the hopes, expectations, and uncertainties that fans wished for Mercedes shattered. With the three-day pre-season test run and a P5 and P7 in the Grand Prix, the team realized that this W14 black livery is nothing similar to the W11 black livery. The car, which was meant to bridge the gap between Mercedes and Red Bull created last year, is worth trash. The car is not balanced, it lacks a huge amount of downforce, it lacks the pace to compete with the rivals, and the low-cost cap budget, in addition, has made the CEO and boss, Toto Wolff, accept the doom for Mercedes this year. He accepts that Red Bull’s RB19 deserves to win all 23 races.
This season fans expected the Mercedes F1 challenger to be competing with Red Bull’s latest creation. But it is neither fit for Red Bull nor for Ferrari and also not for Aston Martin. In order to prevent themselves from the humiliation coming with Aston Martin‘s rise, Mercedes will have to bring a change in the car. Or perhaps they need to bring an entirely new vehicle with new concepts, new designs, new ideas innovations. Nothing from the previous is working. But sadly, bringing a new car or changing the entire idea of the car needs a huge amount of money. And there is a very low-cost budget, just $135 million.
How Is Mercedes Supposed to Make A Way Out In This Hard Time?
Mercedes has planned to ditch their unique concept of zero-pod. But how will Mercedes manage to bring upgrades and development in the W14 with such a low budget? Toto Wolff is still confused about whether the cost budget will limit them or not. But before even knowing that, Wolff knows one thing. They are going to revamp only one of the two W14s at a time.
The F1 cost cap has restricted Mercedes from developing both of its cars. Now, whose car will be upgraded first is still not decided. Choosing the right direction is the most important thing for the team right now. And Mercedes will do it. Whatever it takes, they’ll do it, they have already called on James Allison to work. And now Mike Elliott’s anxiety is high.
Speaking with Racingnews365.com, Toto Wolff admitted, “I don’t think we are constrained by the budget cap.” According to the boss, the team is not going to develop two cars side by side. One car at a time, with one innovation, is perhaps better for the team to understand the car.
On the other hand, the Mercedes principal is worried and somehow sure that even after the “radical changes,” they will not be able to beat Red Bull. For the team who already started dominating on the grid Wolff said, “It is extremely difficult for us to catch such an advantage [to drive along Red Bull]. “However, this is the present challenge for Mercedes, They have no choice, as believed by Wolff.