2023 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[ringo]

Has Russell been having a dig in an interview? Hamilton was slow in at the start of the first stint and undoubtedly held Russell up which put him under pressure from the AM's, frustrating I know but it is what it is. He's got the pace and that's the positive he should be thinking of.

I dont think he really has the pace. At best the same aa Lewis.
He is not thinking strategically. Even stroll was able to get him.
Hamilton was "struggling" earlier and we dont know if it was some kind of mind game.
But as soon as he switched to hards he was managing the pace to prepare for Alonso. Thr gap came down to 1.6 and Lewis turned it back to around 2.x So i think the two merc drivers have diffrrent objectives. George focused on Lewis and Lewis focussed on a podium finish and when the car can come good.
I dont see George beating Lewis this year. I think Hamilton is in a different headspace than post Abudahbi 21 last year.
The main worry is how much quicker the W14 can get. What can the team do?

It didnt look awful compared to the AMR. So it bodes well if they can create some kind of dumbo wings downstream of the side openings to funnel air to the diffuser.

[zeroday]

I hoped Hamilton would pass Sainz, he just didn't have the traction, it was painful watching his onboard, I've seen cars with more traction on inters.

100% agreed. For long periods Lewis was even within 0.4 secs with DRS open. Car is crippling his ability to perform. Shame. Again in 2023..really guys? Can someone just give the man a real car to use? Sheesh. Gonna be a ruff year. I think i might be done F1 for the season after confirmation (translation: underwhelming) of the upgrade in a few races times.

Cool for Alonso though. Guy had a ton of bad luck last year. So, nice to see a smile from him. The only real highlight of the race for me was seeing them battle it out. Like old times.

[harty71]

Has Russell been having a dig in an interview? Hamilton was slow in at the start of the first stint and undoubtedly held Russell up which put him under pressure from the AM's, frustrating I know but it is what it is. He's got the pace and that's the positive he should be thinking of.

I dont think he really has the pace. At best the same aa Lewis.
He is not thinking strategically. Even stroll was able to get him.
Hamilton was "struggling" earlier and we dont know if it was some kind of mind game.
But as soon as he switched to hards he was managing the pace to prepare for Alonso. Thr gap came down to 1.6 and Lewis turned it back to around 2.x So i think the two merc drivers have diffrrent objectives. George focused on Lewis and Lewis focussed on a podium finish and when the car can come good.
I dont see George beating Lewis this year. I think Hamilton is in a different headspace than post Abudahbi 21 last year.
The main worry is how much quicker the W14 can get. What can the team do?

It didnt look awful compared to the AMR. So it bodes well if they can create some kind of dumbo wings downstream of the side openings to funnel air to the diffuser.

Russell was screwed over by his slow stop and that gave Stroll the opportunity to pass. No way was Hamilton playing games, you don't let a driver get in your DRS zone, especially at a track like Bahrain. These two are that closely matched it's all about who leads in to the first corner.

[ringo]

Adrian Newey about Mercedes: "In the third race we believe Mercedes will bring a new sidepod"

Looks like some the new hires still have inside connections to their old workplace at Brackley.

[Matt2725]

I don't see anything they can do this season with that car that would get them within a sniff of the front.

What a disaster.

[Matt2725]

Adrian Newey about Mercedes: "In the third race we believe Mercedes will bring a new sidepod"

I saw an offhand comment that an upgrade was being rushed forward to Jeddah.

[zeroday]

Lewis (post): "We've just got to add downforce to the car [because] we're lacking a lot of downforce. As soon as we put more load on the rear and the front and we'll pick up that pace."

Oh no, I pray not a return of the barn door

[chrisc90]

Lewis (post): "We've just got to add downforce to the car [because] we're lacking a lot of downforce. As soon as we put more load on the rear and the front and we'll pick up that pace."

It likely a lot more complicated than that.

[mzso]

Aston also had the man who understood the concept and probably created it! Remember Dan fallows said the ramps and floor was designed for Aston in November 2021.

Huh? Why would that be?

[mzso]

Adrian Newey about Mercedes: "In the third race we believe Mercedes will bring a new sidepod"

Yeah, but big Mike said that the sidepods are not important.

[ringo]

Mercedes to out develop Red Bull? Wow. They are 1 second off race pace at a RB operating at 85% of its potential during the race. RB were managing tyres since about lap 25.

There is no chance Mercedes will out develop/perform RB in this era of regulations. They are on damage limitation.

Out-develop RB

My head was baffled aswell. I'll await some further clarification from Ringo however.

I was being hopeful. Not outdevelop. Just out fox. They need to find some kind of loop hole that sidesteps the level of development.
For instance, the AMR23 had less development than the W14, but it had better people and a better concept.
Mercedes need to some how find some kind of concept. They cannot match RBR for people for sure.

The regs basically have handed Max 5 titles. Nothing will stop him from winning the next 3. Lando needs to go to redbull or Russel to stop him, or at least give us some entertainment.

[ringo]

Adrian Newey about Mercedes: "In the third race we believe Mercedes will bring a new sidepod"

Yeah, but big Mike said that the sidepods are not important.

I do wonder what they evaluate to draw that conclusion, because I am sure they are comparing concepts.
Could it be that their tools are behind, and maybe better tools would reveal the difference?

[Venturiation]

Toto after the gp said that the W14 upgrade that they were bringing to imola was 3 tenths
he says that's not enough and now they need something radical



i think first thing they will start to change is the floor
and the sidepods will be the last
but i'm wondering if they will have enough to make new chassis or it was made modular since the beginning because they knew they would change philosophy

the midwing can easly be changed with something else and the entire sidepod entry

[chrisc90]

I was being hopeful. Not outdevelop. Just out fox. They need to find some kind of loop hole that sidesteps the level of development.
For instance, the AMR23 had less development than the W14, but it had better people and a better concept.
Mercedes need to some how find some kind of concept. They cannot match RBR for people for sure.

The regs basically have handed Max 5 titles. Nothing will stop him from winning the next 3. Lando needs to go to redbull or Russel to stop him, or at least give us some entertainment.

The problem is they dont understand their concept to know where its going wrong, so they cant build on the platform to claw back laptime. Its not the engine, its not the suspension. Which only really leaves your floor or the bodywork. Im not even convinced at Lewis' comments today saying they need to add downforce to get the time back. It was said they had one of the best floors for downforce last year before they pulled some out in the Spain upgrades (I think). So Merc know how they can get their floor to produce more downforce.
Which only really leaves your bodywork/sidepods which appears to be the route they are choosing to go down. Time will tell what comes of that.

Its not the regs fault that Max has titles under this aero regulation set. The same could be said for any driver getting numerous titles in a aero regulation package. its obvious that having a strong car compliments that perfectly, which some of the credit goes to the talent back in the factory.

Lando will be kicking himself for turning down the offers to drive at RB, whilst Danny Ric sits in the sidelines/simulator with a smug grin on his face knowing he was blamed for the teams failings in 2022. (but thats a seperate topic).

[AR3-GP]

The season is a write off. Toto said after the race that it was the worst day in Mercedes history.

In the opening stint, The Merc's were 1 second off the pace from lap 1-7. From lap 7-14 they were 2 seconds off the pace.



There is no upgrade in the world that's going to save them this year. RB don't even have to develop their car. Mercedes still might not even catch them at the end of the year.