Uphill start
The 2023 season began in the sign of disappointment for Mercedes, fifth in Bahrain with Lewis Hamilton but above all ‘confessed’ for the project of a W14 already to be trashed. Word, the latter, of the team principal Toto Wolff, which seems to have already raised its hands in surrender in the face of the overwhelming power of Red Bull, at least following the dominance of the Anglo-Austrian cars in the aforementioned Bahrain. Yet, despite the despondency that reigns in Brackley, there is still hope for the team that annihilated the competition in the first phase of the turbo-hybrid era.
The hopes
The first is linked to the new version of the W14 which will make its debut at Imola, venue for the sixth round of the world championship scheduled for 21 May. The other, however, is scheduled in a few days on the occasion of Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. More than a new package of updates or any other type of technical innovation, it is the nature of the racing circuit that conveys confidence in Toto Wolff. Jeddahwhich does not correspond to that of Sakhir, a track which hosted the first round of the world championship and the previous pre-season tests.
The differences
According to the Mercedes team principal, in fact, the street circuit of the Saudi capital has characteristics more suited to the potential of the W14, especially as regards tire wear: “The last time I dreamed of miracles was a long time ago, so I don’t expect miracles – said the Austrian manager – Sakhir limits the rear and has a very abrasive asphalt, and this is probably our weak point. If you look at it from this perspective, maybe things will improve. Surely when it comes to front-limited tracks, we will have a much, much better pace“.
The new challenge
The fact remains that, regardless of hopes, Mercedes has other goals to achieve: “Everyone is aware that it’s not about finding three tenths and polishing the car Wolff added. it’s a matter of serious performance that we need to find to get back to fighting for race victories and championships. I think it’s about understand where we set goals, all of us collectively, and how we need to change perspective. This is an interesting exercise, which I look forward to doing. I’d rather win every single race and go on to win championship after championship, but that’s the real challenge now. I think it’s interesting, even if it’s painful.”
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