Mercedes have had one of the toughest seasons post regulation changes with both of their drivers finding the car difficult to drive. The W14 has gone through a winless season so far in 2023 and their condition is worse than 2022, even though Mercedes currently stands second in the constructor’s championship.
Mercedes principal Toto Wolff had praised Lewis’s performance in Mexico by calling his race almost ‘perfect’. He further went on to claim that Lewis Hamilton only needed a car that is capable to win. This statement raised some eyebrows about Toto’s confidence in their own car and attracted a lot of attention.
Toto Wolff expresses disappointment on W14
Team Principals usually refrain from passing negative comments about their car. Instead, they highlight on their recent developments, trying to showcase the better side of their team. Toto Wolff, however, has made an impactful and serious remark about the W14 that can be directly linked to his personal belief in the team’s success this year.
“Inexcusable performance,” Wolff, Mercedes’ team principal, told Sky Sports F1. “There’s even no words for that. That car finished second last week and the week before, and whatever we did to it was horrible. Lewis survived out there, but George… I can only feel for the two driving such a miserable thing.”
He further contemplated upon their recent drop in performance coming from Mexico, where they challenged the Red Bulls to the Brazilian GP.
“It shows how difficult the car is, it’s on a knife’s edge. You’ve got to develop that better for next year, because it can’t be that within seven days you’re finishing on the podium, solid, with one of the two quickest cars, and then you’re nowhere and finishing eighth.” Wolff boldly stated, “This car doesn’t deserve a win.”
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell struggle with W14
Mercedes W14 has been Mercedes’ problem child for the entire year and it has been unable to provide ample amount of confidence to even the team principal of Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell didn’t shy away from expressing their frustrations during post-race conference of the Brazilian GP where they highlighted their difficulties, marking their entire race a disaster.
Russell compared the performance of W14 with their car last year, expressing that he has been let down by the W14, “Twelve months ago this was our strongest race of the year, 12 months later it’s by far our weakest race of the year, so very strange.”
“The car was just slow this weekend. The tyres were sliding around and I think what we were doing was the maximum. Something doesn’t quite add up, you just don’t suddenly lose a second’s worth of performance and go from a podium-fighting car to just fighting for points.”, he added.
“We really need to sit down and understand, but clearly a massive one off this week.”
Lewis Hamilton’s response was the most disheartening one when he was reminded of the races remaining this season, “I feel like I drove a better race today in terms of managing the tyres to the best of my ability. But the car, there’s like moments it works and moments it doesn’t, and it’s so inconsistent throughout the lap.” He added, “Two more races with this thing and then hopefully no more driving it.”
What are your thoughts about the remaining races in the season after Red Bull won yet another GP? Do let us know your opinions.
