Mercedes wanted to return to the title contention this season with a bang. In 2021 they lost their grip on the title after a long time. But last year saw them in a terrible situation. The W13 car had all sorts of trouble with too much bouncing. Halfway through the previous season, the Brackley team started working on the new vehicle for the 2023 season.
Almost during the end of last year, the vehicle displayed signs of improvement. As a result, Mercedes won the Brazilian Grand Prix last season. But it was too late to retain the title back in last year. However, Toto Wolff and the team were looking for massive progress with the W14 car. The plan was to get the car ready to give good competition to the other powerhouses – Red Bull and Ferrari.
But after the opening Grand Prix in Bahrain, it was nothing short of a disappointment for the German team. It was conspicuously evident that the car was no match for Red Bull’s RB19. But there is a new competition in the form of Aston Martin, with the oldest driver on the grid driving. The Mercedes team not only needs to decrease the gap with their arch-rival, Red Bull but also needs to be wary of Aston Martin and Ferrari this season. Both the Red Bull drivers dominated the opening Grand Prix of the season, but Hamilton and Russell were pushed back to 5th and 7th, respectively. The 2016 F1 champion, Nico Rosberg, feels the gap is even bigger than what is visible to the naked eye.
Rosberg Thinks Mercedes Is In Deep Trouble
According to the 37-year-old former Mercedes driver, the gap between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton could have been 10 seconds more than it was if Red Bull did not ask the Dutchman to be careful with the tires. Red Bull was 50 seconds faster than Mercedes at the end of the opening GP. Nico Rosberg further adds that it seems like Mercedes is once more in a state of confusion about how to connect the dots. Last year Mercedes did not know how to tackle the porpoising issue but this time trouble with balance. This confusion state had cost the Silver Arrows the previous season.
Another confusion this year may cause the repetition of the same result. However, Rosberg says that Mercedes need “magic bullets” to progress in the following races. After the final day of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Austrian billionaire mentioned that it was among the worst racing days of his life. It is quite understandable where the Mercedes boss is coming from and why he reacted that way.
Time is running out again for Mercedes to find out the problem and then solve them. Hamilton is 38 now, and the relationship with the team may end after the current season. Mercedes would want their star to win the coveted eighth title before he retires or at least till he is part of the team.