Mercedes’ slow start to the 2023 season seems like a long way behind, thanks to their recent upgrades that we first saw at the Monaco GP. After a double podium finish in Barcelona, the Silver Arrows continued their good form in Montreal. Lewis Hamilton managed to finish P3, just behind Fernando Alonso to claim his third podium finish of the season. Now, things are looking even brighter for them, with more upgrades set to arrive before the summer break.
Ahead of the Canadian GP, team principal Toto Wolff said that the upgrades were suited to the track layout of Barcelona. Hence, he didn’t expect a good performance at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. However, that claim turned out to be false, as both Hamilton and George Russell showed strong speed in Montreal.
Now with the 2023 Canadian GP in the history books, Wolff has some more good news for Mercedes fans. The 51-year-old reveals that there are more upgrades that will come in before the summer break begins.
Lewis Hamilton and Co. aim to take control of the championship
Even though Mercedes has improved significantly in recent races, they are still a long way away from Red Bull. Realistically, their current battle lies with Aston Martin for P2 in the championship, with a chance of Ferrari joining in the mix. Regardless, the prospect of more improvement has everyone on the team excited.
“We’re bringing a larger one to Silverstone,” said Wolff as quoted by Crash. “And then we should have another one before the shutdown. It’s just that the learnings have accelerated a lot since we changed some of the conceptual architecture. There should be decent steps coming in the next four races.”
The mood seems to have changed in the Mercedes garage since the upgrades were introduced last month. While there is still a long way to go, Wolff, Hamilton and everyone at the Brackley-based outfit believes that they are headed in the right direction.
George Russell’s Canadian GP disaster
While Hamilton’s side of the garage was elated with a P3 finish, George Russell and his mechanics weren’t happy with how the race unfolded. Russell hit the barriers on turn nine, which damaged his car significantly, and despite his team’s best efforts, he couldn’t find the pace after he rejoined at the back.
Furthermore, he had to retire from the Grand Prix altogether as the damage sustained turned out to be too much for him to continue. On his social media account, Russell apologized to the team for messing up, what could have been an even better weekend for them.
The next round of F1 takes place in Spielberg in Austria. Teams and drivers will travel to the Red Bull ring in two-weeks time for the 2023 Austrian GP.
