Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has warned that radical decisions may need to be made if the team’s sweeping changes do not return them to title contention, following a disappointing start to the 2023 Formula One season.
The team had high hopes for the W14 car, which retained the zero-pod concept of its predecessor, and had been confident of a return to form after being restricted to just one victory in 2022.
However, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton qualified six tenths away from pole position at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, the same deficit with which they began last season. Wolff acknowledged the team had pursued the wrong car concept and ordered sweeping changes to get Mercedes back on track.
Speaking at the recent Saudi Arabian GP, Wolff claimed that more bold decisions may be taken if the team’s next step is not enough to return Russell and Hamilton to regular race-winning form. He suggested that the team needs to extract more downforce all around the track, and that finding gains in this area will be their focus over the coming months.
“If we see that is not enough to actually challenge for the front, then there might be more radical decisions that need to be taken,” Wolff said.
Wolff’s admission that the team had taken the wrong path has put Mercedes’ no-blame culture to the test. Hamilton’s frustration appeared to get the better of him as he claimed the Mercedes technical team had ignored his guidance on the development path of the W14. Hamilton has since described himself as “the gateway to the car’s performance”.
Mercedes were restricted to just one victory in 2022, and the team had hoped that the W14 car would return them to title contention this year. However, the team’s disappointing start to the season has led to Wolff warning that radical decisions may need to be made if the team’s sweeping changes do not return them to form.
