Lewis Hamilton and George Russell could not come near the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix podiums. Clearly, the Mercedes W14 is not a strong car; it lacks downforce. And all the concepts used in it are wrong and incompatible with what it takes to battle strong rivals. Last year, the German motorsports team remained a loser and was defeated by Red Bull and Ferrari, yet they managed to secure a P3 in the constructor’s championship.
But this year, it seems like the Silver Arrows will fail to come under even the top three contenders as a result of Aston Martin’s comeback. To prevent themselves from this humiliation, Mercedes is in need of a new car. A new concept, a new design, and a new direction are what can save the team from falling. But will this low-cost budget of Formula One let it happen?
The Required Developments For Mercedes Are Huge!
Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko has warned Mercedes, reminding them of the cost budget under which they are trying to bring upgrades for two cars. Helmut is afraid that Mercedes will have to either overspend or remain a loser. This is because there is no way the Silver Arrows can afford such a big development in two of the W14 cars.
Looking at the problems that the Mercedes 2023 F1 black livery car is giving, one thing is clear; it needs something like a revolution. During the Bahrain pre-season test runs, the seven-time world champion gave a chequered flag to no porpoising issues in the car. Both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton nodded at the fact that the new car was nothing similar to the W13.
But then, just the next day, Hamilton faced balancing issues in the car. Russell even caused red flags. Since that time, the team has started noting down the little issues coming from the W14. During the free practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Mercedes remained a mediocre team. And in the weekend, Hamilton barely survived under the top contenders, while Russell finished seventh.
How Will Toto Wolff Manage The Cost Cap Problems?
Lewis Hamilton’s #44 car was 50 seconds behind Max Verstappen’s #1 RB19, who won the first race of the season. Given this, Helmut Marko claims, “the 2023 world championship title is out of reach for Mercedes“. This is a huge gap, and to bridge it, Mercedes principal Toto Wolff has announced major upcoming changes in the car. These changes may also change the zero pod concept of Mercedes, which has been the team’s unique feature.
Red Bull’s chief advisor also pointed out the difficulties that Mercedes might face in terms of developing the W14. The very first challenge, according to Helmut Marko, that Mercedes will face is the “cost budget of $135 million.” Helmut finds out not just one but several problems in the concept that the German manufacturer brought in the W14. He believes that the solution was not found by the team over the winter break. And now, after the season began, “a team cannot [re] design two cars at a time” because then you will have to face “financial limits,” he said.
However, finding relief in this tough challenge, Toto Wolff figures out a solution. He suggested that developing just one driver’s car at a time is better. Though it is not yet decided which car will undergo upgrades first.