During the 2023 preseason testing, Mercedes, yet again, didn’t seem to be the product that would clean away the title like yesteryear. Many experts claim it is not progressing from last year’s position. On the other hand, a minority is even predicting that Aston Martin might displace them to P4.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is also not optimistic about this year. He feels that the Silver Arrows have a mountain to climb. Overall, the Mercedes garage is trying to be humble and avoid saying the opposite of public opinion.
But they can’t stay there for long. Mercedes is an ambitious team and would want to be at the forefront of Formula 1. But the former F1 driver thinks their condition is like 2019/20 Premier League champions Liverpool.
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Martin Brundle says Mercedes this year is like Liverpool
Who doesn’t know? Liverpool is a massive soccer club and was the 2019 /20 champions. They had a sudden spell of success after seeing mediocrity for years. But now, they see a slippery slope against their rivals and can’t possibly fight for the title.
No more having the capacity to repeat success, Brundle draws Mercedes comparison with the Merseyside club. “It’s odd, isn’t it right now? Look at Liverpool, for example,” Brundle said on Sky Sports’ The F1 Show on Monday. “Little nuances, where you change the personnel, and there’s maybe a lack of confidence. That’s what I’m seeing at Mercedes at the moment.”
The Silver Arrows in 2022 wanted to make a comeback in the F1 championship but possibly could only end up suffering to hold onto the P3. But the season is long, and Mercedes have a pair that can extract maximum out of the car. So, it remains to be seen where they will land.
Nevertheless, under such progress, this year’s championship is unlikely. So if the Liverpool comparison has been made, Mercedes personnel can only say, as Liverpool fans were once mocked to say, ‘next year is our year’.
Lewis Hamilton isn’t committing claims former teammate
Hamilton’s current contract with Mercedes runs till the end of this year. Reportedly the two parties are already in negotiations to extend the running contract, that could be worth more than $400 million.
However, former teammate of Hamilton Jenson Button is wary that the Briton is deliberately stalling his contract signing with Mercedes. According to the 2009 F1 champion, his compatriot is waiting to see how competitive Mercedes can become in the coming weeks.
Once he is satisfied with the improvements made by the Silver Arrows, he’ll pen down the new contract. But if not, only Hamilton can tell what would be his thinking related to his association with Mercedes.
