There is a lot that happens in Formula One outside of the racing tracks. According to recent news, Franz Toast has left his seat as the team principal of the Alpha Tauri for new Ferrari joinee Laurent Mekies. And since it is a Red Bull B team, it is inevitable for Mercedes to react to the change of position. But apparently, social media has become a huge part of sports, and online rivalries are seen as very entertaining by fans. Therefore Mercedes’ PR team remains very active whenever there is a chance for them to earn clout in public.
There is a very famous phrase that says that a picture speaks a thousand words. And Mercedes depicted a perfect example of the quote with their recent comment on the Red Bull B team. Toast is a team principal who is known for cutting the salaries of the drivers to come under the cost cap. But when a reporter posed a question to Lewis Hamilton about Franz, he did not even know who he was. The incident went viral quickly as it had Lewis Hamilton saying, “Who’s that.”
Mercedes Used The Confused Hamilton Picture To Roast Recent Rival Moves
Since Alpha Tauri was finally changing their team principal, it was the perfect moment for Mercedes to troll their rivals. The two have been on each other for a long time, and they would take a win over each other anywhere. This time it was social media among the fans who appreciated the quick feet of the Mercedes PR team. Some are even complaining that this action might not be in the best sportsmanship. Whatever may be the right moral judgment but it pulled a lot of people to the post.
Since Tauri changed their team, principal Mercedes left Hamilton’s picture from the same interview where he did not recognize Toast. Under Red Bull’s official statement released on Twitter, Mercedes put a screenshot of a confused Hamilton. It managed to grab many people’s attention, who later commented on the same post. With such post, even Lewis Hamilton is shocked about what they have posted.
foul 💀 https://t.co/vQaCk2v4dv
— Jupitersbaddest 🇵🇸 (@jupitersbadest) April 27, 2023
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) April 26, 2023
THE SHADE. https://t.co/cXjkGOwHMs
— emmy (@44LECL3RC) April 26, 2023
The way I had to cover my mouth from screaming in my office. I’m in 😭 https://t.co/7DlU3r3WNF
— Queenie (@Kueenie_Ara) April 26, 2023
Red Bull Could Have Beaten Mercedes In 2020, Accepts Pierre Wache
The statement is a bit shocking because Mercedes had a strong grip on the first position in 2020. But Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache believes they could have won in 2020. “We missed an opportunity because they (Mercedes) were beatable,” said Wache to Motorsport Magazine. There is no doubt that every time is perfect in every department, but Red Bull missed some of the points that they could have exploited.
There is a high risk involved whenever there are sudden changes in the car. “The risk is great, but if we want to create a concept that beats that of our opponent, we have to change the current one,” as per Wache. And they gradually did change the concept, but they were still 28 points behind. They managed to close the gap and believed that if they had taken the decision earlier, they would have beaten Mercedes.