Red Bull chief believes ‘with a driver like Lewis Hamilton’ Mercedes will return stronger in 2023

Red Bull chief Helmut Marko believes that even though Mercedes experienced its worst season in the 2022 season, it will bounce back stronger in the next season.

The Milton-Keynes-based team clinched its first double title with both constructors’ and drivers’ championships since the 2013 season.

While the Red Bull F1 team did compete with Ferrari, the Scuderia’s reliability problems and strategic errors midway through the season handed the titles easily to Red Bull.

However, as the season progressed, Mercedes continued their recovery and even saw George Russell take his maiden victory in Sao Paolo.

The positive note on which the Brackley-based team ended its 2022 campaign has led the Red Bull advisor in believing that the team might step up the podium in 2023.

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Mercedes would benefit from Red Bull’s budget cap fine

Earlier this season, Red Bull was found guilty of breaching the 2021 budget cap and was sentenced to a 10% reduction in the wind tunnel time.

As per the sporting regulations, the team who finished the season in P1 which is Red Bull in 2022 should be allotted 70% of the full wind tunnel time which equates to 224 runs.

The team in P2, Ferrari, should be allowed 75% which is 240 runs and similarly, the team in P3, Mercedes should be allowed 80% which is 256 runs in the wind tunnel.

However, following the punishment, Red Bull will only get 63% of the time in the wind tunnel which is 202 runs, to perform aero testing on its ’23 car. Meanwhile, Mercedes will approximately have 27% more wind tunnel time.

Team principal Toto Wolff is keen on utilising this merit to its fullest and returning stronger in the next season.

#AMuS 2022 Mercedes lost the duel against Ferrari in the battle for second place. Toto Wolff settles accounts with the problem child W13 and explains why Mercedes can be expected again in 2023.

— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) November 25, 2022

Silver Arrows will be stronger in the overall package

Apart from the benefits of the aero testing, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes that Mercedes is stronger in the overall package.

When asked if he thinks Ferrari or Mercedes will be stronger in 2023, Marko said that Ferrari is stronger but Mercedes is stronger with a driver like Lewis Hamilton.

The Austrian admitted that the 7-time world champion is still a top driver.

Also Read: Toto Wolff predicts a disappointing 2023 season for Red Bull following budget cap penalty