Mercedes Garage’s Pre-race Drinking Shenanigans Brought in the “Beer Police”

Who’d have thought that the secret behind F1 championships was a good ol’ cold bottle of beer? As it goes, the Mercedes crew wouldn’t mind opening a cold one on Saturday night as Nyck de Vries exposes his old team’s bizarre habit.

In a recent video for F1, the AlphaTauri driver opened up on the funny nickname he was given back with the Brackley team. Trying to keep his team under control must’ve really shocked the driver who policed their massive alcohol intake.

Raining on their party, his colleagues soon hailed de Vries the “beer police”. Wide-eyed, the driver explained, “I was just amazed how many beers they could drink on an evening prior to.”

As this usually unheard-of ritual comes to light, it’s probably just harmless fun in the garage. Considering the immense amount of pressure, on top of the hectic schedule that F1 demands, certainly, a little beer doesn’t hurt.

What’s been happening at Mercedes?

Mercedes, after a turbulent 2022 season, has begun the 2023 F1 season in a problematic manner. The pressure is mounting as Lewis Hamilton’s chances of securing an eighth driver’s title seem to be dwindling.

While Mercedes was not alone in their struggle to compete with the reigning constructors’ champions, their failure to outpace Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin and Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari has left the team feeling discouraged.

Hamilton, who understands that his hopes for this year’s championship victory are slim, expressed his disappointment with the team for not taking his thoughts on car design into consideration. Meanwhile, team principal Toto Wolff referred to the Bahrain GP as “one of the worst days in racing.”

One potential explanation for Mercedes’ poor performance is the loss of key personnel in recent years. However, with James Allison making a return, things are looking sunny for the team.

Further, the Australian GP was a much-needed confidence boost for the Silver Arrows. With Baku being the next demon to slay, hopefully, we see the champions start to resemble what they once were. And maybe, they can swap the measly beers for some podium champagne.