Former Bridgestone expert Kees van de Grint has expressed his doubts about Mercedes’ recent admission that they “got it wrong” with their W14 concept. The team’s boss, Toto Wolff, made the announcement after a disappointing start to the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. However, after the Australian Grand Prix, where Mercedes showed signs of improvement and were Red Bull’s closest challenger, Wolff remained optimistic, suggesting that George Russell could have won the race if not for his early retirement.
Van de Grint sees this as a potential feint, with Mercedes quietly hoping that things will work out despite their admission of getting it wrong. He questions why the team only reached this conclusion so late in the season, wondering what they discussed and analyzed during the winter. He believes that the recent noises from Mercedes suggest a panic atmosphere and that Wolff has already given up. However, Van de Grint acknowledges that Mercedes is pursuing an aggressive “fast pace” upgrade plan.
Van de Grint also weighed in on Red Bull’s DRS, which Lewis Hamilton described as “insane” after Max Verstappen passed him twice in two races. Wolff called it “mind-boggling,” but Van de Grint believes that Red Bull’s advantage over the W14 extends beyond the DRS. He believes that Red Bull’s handling in corners, where DRS is not available, is also superior to the W14’s.
Van de Grint does not like the artificial intervention of DRS and believes that racing is about keeping someone behind and forcing the other to find a gap to overtake. He would rather see Verstappen force a hole without DRS and sees the regulator’s approval of DRS as unhealthy for the sport. Despite his dislike of DRS, he acknowledges that Red Bull has done an excellent job in developing in that direction.
In conclusion, Van de Grint has expressed his doubts about Mercedes’ recent admission of getting it wrong with their W14 concept. He believes that there is a sense of panic within the team, but Wolff is still hopeful that things will work out. Van de Grint has also weighed in on Red Bull’s DRS and handling, acknowledging that the team has done an excellent job in developing in that direction. However, he is not in favor of DRS and believes that the regulator’s approval of DRS is unhealthy for the sport.
