If you have watched the Bahrain Grand Prix 2023, you must be aware of the fact that team Mercedes is no more the same team that used to count wins and dominate over others once in the past. Now, Red Bull has well replaced them by mastering the ground-floor effects. In 2022, Red Bull will be the first team to battle for the championship, and Ferrari will be there too. And the third team to initiate a three-way battle will be Aston Martin. Where is Mercedes, then? Out! Out of the title contention. Says who? Apparently, Dr. Helmut Marko, the chief advisor of Red Bull.
During the winter break, everyone, including Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton, predicted the plot for the 2023 game. They all suggested there would be a three-way battle between Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes. But now, after the Bahrain Grand Prix, the season’s first competition fight is done, we can see how hyped Mercedes was. “The W14 is strong; it is bringing the dignity back, the lost title back, and so on… But now fans are being realistic after seeing the P5 and P7 of Hamilton and George Russell, respectively.
The black Livery was supposed to bring luck for Mercedes, but it seems like nothing can bring luck for the Silver Arrows except for the required upgrades and the right direction. Listening to what Helmut Marko is saying, fans perhaps should accept that Mercedes is now a backward team. No more fake hopes for Mercedes. Marko claimed, “The world title is out of reach for Mercedes.”
Why Does Helmut Marko Think It Is Impossible For Mercedes To Be A Title Contender?
The developments and the upgrades that the Mercedes W14 demands at present in order to be a title contender are impossible to bring in such a low cap budget. Mercedes principal Toto Wolff has suggested some designs that Mercedes is preparing to launch before the next Grand Prix. He talked about ditching off the zero-pod concept, which differed W14 from Red Bull’s RB19. However, ditching their unique side-pods will demand a new concept, which will demand a dear amount of dollars, and the team only has $135 million. Helmut Marko suspects that this is not enough for bringing developments in two cars.
Helmut explained, “A team cannot design two or three cars at the same time. If a completely new machine is to come now [in Mercedes], it would be difficult due to the financial limits. And let’s say you are a brilliant tea, and you manage to bring such developments under such a low budget. How can you assure that the car will be competitive? The Red Bull advisor can sense the impossibility of what Mercedes is claiming right now. According to him, the Silver Arrows will have to develop the car competitively from the start because they will not get the chance to get tested for three days.
However, the fact that the Bahrain Grand Prix was just the first race with which fans can’t make conclusions cannot be ignored. Helmut admits that it’s race one, which gives no final result. However, the fans still don’t know what will happen next weekend. Till then, hoping the best for Mercedes might work as a relief for the fans.
