After eight years of dominance, Mercedes are no longer the force to reckon with in F1. Red Bull and Ferrari coped with the regulation changes much better this season, which made the German team third-best. They were miles off the pace to the top two in the initial stages, but that gap closed as the season progressed.
Red Bull became more and more dominant as Max Verstappen clinched his second Title with four races to spare. Ferrari meanwhile, lost out on the Title battle and it’s safe to say that Mercedes is very close to them now. With just two Grand Prixs to go, it’s very possible that the Silver Arrows finish ahead of the Prancing Horses.
Despite making amends throughout the course of the season, Mercedes have still not won a race. This will be especially difficult for the newer fans to digest since they have won in every single season since 2014. Team principal Toto Wolff claims that winning a race will be a lot more important than finishing ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship.
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Mercedes win would send a message to Ferrari and Red Bull
Wolff feels that finishing P2 won’t make an impactful statement. This is because their going a place up could very well be due to Ferrari’s mistakes or misfortunes. On the other hand, if they win one or the remaining two races, it sends a message to Red Bull and Ferrari that they are back and here to win. It would be proof that they are ready to fight for race wins once again.
“The win would be proof that our car is back to fight for wins,” he said. “P2 could also be because the others dropped the ball, and you’re just scoring more points.”
Toto Wolff wants better understanding of the W13 to prepare for 2023 season
Mercedes’ fall from Championship glory has led to a lot of people wondering if their dominance is over. Wolff, however, insists that the 2022 season was just a hiccup and that they’ll be back for wins soon.
This is primarily why he and the Mercedes team wanted to take the remaining few races this campaign to analyze where they can be better next season.
“Finishing ahead of them would be great, but again, it’s not our main priority,” the Austrian said. “The main priority is to understand the car and have a quick automobile on the track.”
