The start of the 2023 season has drowned hopes of Mercedes’ star Lewis Hamilton fighting for the championship title anytime soon.
Despite W13 of last season showing improvement towards the end of the season, W14 of the current season has turned out to be an even bigger problem.
Team boss Toto Wolff was left quite disappointed after the Mercedes parked itself P5 and P7 in Bahrain behind Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
With pending talks about Hamilton’s contract extension, there have been speculations that his deal will depend upon W14’s performance. The reports also suggested that Mercedes is under quite a lot of pressure from the Briton as ‘time is of the essence’ for him.
But the new reserve driver Mick Schumacher believes that the 7x world champion should hold his head high and stay positive seeing how Wolff works for the team.
Mick Schumacher gives insight into Mercedes
Schumacher joined the team from Haas as the third driver in the 2023 season. After the woeful first race of the season, the German driver said that the Brackley-squad has always been one of the best teams.
Mercedes has always proven to turn things around in their favour with upgrades. And while these upgrades will not make the Silver Arrows capable enough to battle the Red Bulls, Hamilton must remain upbeat and optimistic.
Furthermore, the 23-year-old explained that the way the Austrian team boss works is quite incredible and it shows that the next few weeks will be pretty exciting.
“One of the worst days in racing, really not good at all”
Toto Wolff gave his honest opinion on a difficult day for Mercedes in Bahrain 👇 pic.twitter.com/I7Ik2MNHRP
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 5, 2023
Silver Arrows to back Alonso over Lewis Hamilton
Aston Martin had an awful couple of years in the past as they fought their way into the midfield and the back of the grid. Meanwhile, Mercedes always remained involved in the battle at the top.
This dynamic has taken a drastic turn in the 2023 season. Despite finishing at the back in 2022, the Silverstone-based team has found the correct map to title battle leaving even its engine supplier Mercedes behind.
The improvement is so drastic that Fernando Alonso who raced his first race with Aston Martin in Bahrain finished P3. Meanwhile, his teammate Lance Stroll who was driving with broken wrists and a broken toe outperformed George Russell for P6.
Following this, there have been rumours that if any major development does not come to Mercedes in the upcoming races, the manufacturers will start favouring their other title contenders Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin for the championship fight.
Also Read: Ferrari Race Director Laurent Mekies Flooded by Job Offers From Alpine and Other Crucial F1 Houses
