Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team have fallen from grace since the current ground effects regulation became effective post 2021. Before the fateful regulations changes, the German manufacturer was ruling the spot with eight constructors championships in a single decade.
That being said, Mercedes not only went downhill with its competitiveness but also fell from being a winner to a mid-field survivor. Moreover, with Lewis Hamilton losing faith and jumping ships to Ferrari in 2025, it is safe to speculate that the Silver Arrow comeback seems no longer inevitable. Could they be another Williams in the making?
Mercedes’ Fall From Grace Draws Parallels From Williams’ Irrecoverable Decline!
Eight-time constructors champions, the Mercedes F1 team, managed to attain only a single race win in the past couple of years. Despite changing concepts and coming to terms with the current ground effects regulations, the Silver Arrows have consistently failed to regain competitiveness and are now struggling to stay in points. While the German manufacturers’ downfall is unnatural, its present trajectory drew parallels from that of Williams’ decline in the late 1990s. Williams Racing, nine-time constructors champions, went from a champion team to a back marker after losing aerodynamics specialist Adrian Newey and BMW as engine sponsors. Subsequently, Williams witnessed a decline and failed to recover despite having switched six engine partners. Interestingly, Toto Wolff’s team appears to be heading in the same direction.
Mercedes’ first instances of decline were exposed after key engineers left the team to join hands with rivals. Moreover, the Silver Arrows’ hands remain tied due to a lack of resources. Additionally, the team’s understanding of the current ruleset is questionable and concerning per se. However, to compare Silver Arrows’ setbacks to Williams’ bizarre decline would be a little premature. Notably, German manufacturers make their own engines and, therefore, call the shots without relying on the mercy of other sellers. Also, F1 will undergo another regulation change in 2026, where the combust engine’s electrical and energy share will be revised. Therefore, as an engine manufacturer, Mercedes has the privilege of designing an engine that suits them better. Overall, while the Silver Arrows’ decline has reformed the dynamics of F1, the team is far away from being written off. The Brackley-based team is one right concept away from regaining dominance.
Toto Wolff Calls For Consistent Experiment To Fix W15’s Wrecked Pace!
Coming back to the current F1 season, Mercedes finished without points in Melbourne after double DNFs. Moreover, the W15’s rear instability and lack of straight line pace was exposed as Lewis Hamilton struggled to stay in points before an engine failure cut short his race. However, ahead of Japan GP, boss Toto Wolff has called for change.
Wolff admitted that at this point, Mercedes must experiment with the setup every race to hit the sweet spot. He added that the 2024 season challenger is fundamentally flawed and needs fixing as soon as possible. While the first upgrade package is held back in Melbourne, the Silver Arrows are expected to come with changes in Suzuka, Japan.
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