Mercedes have progressed well over the course of the season after the new regulations caught the team unprepared. The Silver Arrows struggled with porpoising after failing to get the newly-designed ground-effect W13 right. Being the eight-time constructors\’ champions since 2014, Mercedes has failed to win a single race in 2022 and is only the third-fastest team. Red Bull and Ferrari are leading the championship battle, with Mercedes finding it really hard to compete at the front.
The Silver Arrows came to Paul Ricard with a bunch of upgrades in hopes of securing their first win. However, the German outfit was left puzzled when their W13 was still almost a second behind Verstappen and Leclerc in qualifying. Thanks to retirement from Leclerc, Mercedes, and Lewis Hamilton secured their season-best performance with a second-place finish. Despite a double podium in France, the Mercedes team principal was not impressed with their car\’s performance over the weekend.
The former Austrian driver told in the post-race interview that before Paul Ricard, he felt a win was within reach. However, the French weekend left the Mercedes boss wondering why their car was a second behind Max and about six tenths behind Leclerc. Moreover, Wolff stated that his team has a long way to go and a lot of work to do before being able to dream of victories. The 50-year-old added, \”We screwed up mechanically. We screwed up aerodynamically. It\’s never just one thing.\”
Hamilton Reckons Beating Red Bull & Ferrari In Hungary Would Be Difficult
Lewis Hamilton has progressed well through the season despite having a troublesome car. The Briton is not used to driving a problematic car. He has won six championships in the last eight seasons with Mercedes. His best performance came in France with a second-place finish, marking his fourth consecutive podium this season. Talking after the race, Lewis said it would be difficult for Mercedes to beat Red Bull and Ferrari during the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver shared that he loved Budapest and was super excited to witness the crowd there. He stated it would be quite hard for his team to beat the frontrunners, given their pace advantage. However, Mercedes would bring some upgrades to Hungary in an attempt to get close to the front or at least lean on the rival teams as they did in France. The 37-year-old added, \”So hopefully in that race, we are even closer.\”
Wolff Cannot Help Nyck de Vries Find An F1 Seat
Nyck de Vries has his first practice session of the year in the W13 at the French GP. Lewis stepped aside to let the Dutchman drive his car. The 27-year-old is a Mercedes reserve driver and the reigning Formula E champion. He also won the F2 championship in 2019. However, Nyck has not caught a lucky break in F1 yet.
Recently, Wolff stated that he could not help the Dutchman. The Austrian felt that asking a team to consider de Vries would be interference, and it could all go the contrary way. Toto said that if his team failed to provide the Dutchman with an interesting F1 contract, they would have to let him go. Moreover, Wolff revealed that Nyck was looking at various options, sports cars, and even considering a return to Formula E. The Mercedes boss concluded, \”But you must never give up on the opportunity that one day a Formula 1 door can open.\”