Toto Wolff Asserts Mercedes Could Adopt Red Bull Concept After Woeful 2023 Start

Toto Wolff and the team are scrambling to solve Mercedes’s 2023 issues. The team have already brought back James Allison after the W14’s poor start to the season.

The Silver Arrows had a drop from the top in 2022 when they finished 3rd in the Constructors trophy for the first time in 8 years. And if the poor performance continues, the team could be knocked down to 4th in the standings.

Although the W14 managed to solve its porpoising problem, it still lacks pace and has poor handling. The situation at Brackley is intense and the Mercedes boss has given Technical Director Mike Elliot an ultimatum to fix the car.

 

Aston Martin’s success in the season opener was a wake-up call to the team. And if the flaw is with the W14’s design philosophy then it might be a long season ahead for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Also Read: James Allison Bringing Radical Upgrades & Excluding Zero Sidepods Wouldn’t Be Transformative for Mercedes; Claims F1 Expert

Toto Wolff says the team surpassed all winter targets

Toto Wolff believes the team were optimistic about their 2023 car ahead of the testing. Mercedes managed to solve porpoising and saved weight by opting for an all-black livery.

The Mercedes Boss claimed, “We set ourselves a very high target over the winter break and we’ve achieved them too.” But once the Pre-season testing began the problems started to surface.

The zero-side pod design was a daring approach but hasn’t helped with the car’s performance so far. Even star driver Lewis Hamilton expressed his dissent that the team ignored his input during the car’s development.

Based on the Bahrain GP’s results, Mercedes are far of the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari and even Aston Martin. But the Austrian suggests the team have no other option than to keep their head down and improve the car over the course of the season.

Wolff added, “I’d rather win every single race and continue to win championship after championship. But this is the challenge now for the team, and for me. It is as interesting and painful as it is.”

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Mercedes exploring Red Bull’s concept

The success of Aston Martin has rattled Toto Wolff. The Silverstone-based team that is Mercedes’s customers have excelled this season. Fernando Alonso was able to bag a podium in Bahrain on his very first outing with the team.

This raises the question if Mercedes got everything right. However, the Mercedes team principal suggests the team’s goals are in sight and it’s high time the team develop the car in the right direction.

He stated, “Where we should be headed is quite obvious. In to say, “This is where we are and there are no surprises in the other direction,” we just need to make the data work. In my opinion, the most crucial step is to establish a benchmark again..”

Aston Martin has a Mercedes Power Unit. But their car’s design has taken a lot of inspiration from Red Bull. So much so that Red Bull Team Principal has referred to the AMR23 as a “Green Red Bull.”

While Mercedes has continued to stick with their concept, there may be a point when the team realise its flaws. The Austrian team boss reveals the team have already experimented with other designs and might resort to those if need be.

Wolff said, “We’ve looked at other concepts too. We’ve done it for a while just to be open-minded, and to focus on making our current car work.”

Time is ticking for the 8-times Constructors champions. Because if the team continue to underperform Hamilton, who is yet to renew his contract, might consider leaving the team.

Also Read: Toto Wolff Under Immense Pressure From Lewis Hamilton to Deliver Championship-Winning Car