Clearly, Mercedes is looking for redemption in F1 after their poor performance last season. They did not quite start as well as they expected this season, either. The German team hoped with W14, they would have a better outing than last year. But it is not working in their favor. The primary cause of this failure of Mercedes is the flawed concept behind W13 and W14 cars. The zero-side pod design is just not working for Mercedes in the cost-cap era. Team boss Toto Wolff raises hopes of the Mercedes fans as he says, “Waiting For The Imola Modifications.”
The fans just hope that Mercedes would give up on the zero-side pod concept. Also, they should help Lewis Hamilton in every way possible to win his eighth driver’s world championship. The seven-time champion has been complaining for a long time about his uncomfortable feelings in the car. Hamilton is not happy with the seat position and the rear downforce. As a result, he is not able to go full throttle in the last three races.
Mercedes Boss Hopes For Slow But Steady Improvement
The P2 finish in the last Grand Prix has raised confidence in Mercedes a bit. The German team is looking for an even better result in the next race in Baku, Azerbaijan. On their official website, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff stated that they are looking for a steeper development curve than the reigning champions. However, the fundamental goal will always be to win titles for Mercedes.
The Austrian billionaire mentioned, “Red Bull is the benchmark at present. We can’t compete with them now. They are far too ahead. But if our trajectory is upwards. Then we’re happy.” Wolff explained that Mercedes wants to keep improving. The German team will constantly have upgrades to the car at every Grand Prix, especially in Imola. But Toto Wolff also wanted to be realistic. He says there is no magic bullet or something that will change the fortune drastically. But the focus is to keep getting better.
The German Team Is Looking For Better Results In The Upcoming Races
Despite all these issues, the seven-time champion made the P2 finish at the Australian Grand Prix. It was the first podium finish for Mercedes this season. Furthermore, it was the 192nd podium finish in Hamilton’s career. However, George Russell started pretty well, and he was even leading the race for a while. But coming to lap 18, the power unit failure of his car caused a DNF for Russell in Melbourne.
If Mercedes get better results in the upcoming Grands Prix, then their goal for the current season will be nicely reached. It is still not confirmed exactly what kind of upgrades are the German team looking for. But if Mercedes gets a car to challenge Red Bull, then the season will get a bit too interesting. The F1 fans are waiting for Lewis Hamilton to challenge Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez duo for the titles. However, the way things stand, it does not look like that wish of the fans will be fulfilled this season, but maybe next year.