Mercedes & Hamilton's 2023 Outlook is Bleak - Wheel Sports
Mercedes & Hamilton 2023

Mercedes & Hamilton’s 2023 Outlook is Bleak

Mercedes’ hopes of competing for the Formula One World Championship this season have taken a massive hit following their poor start at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. With a huge performance deficit to the front, the German manufacturer appears to be no closer to winning races or getting back into title contention, much to the frustration of their star driver, Lewis Hamilton.

Could Hamilton go to Ferrari?

Hamilton, who is aiming to claim a record eighth drivers’ crown, could only manage fifth place in Bahrain, over 50 seconds behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. His teammate, George Russell, finished seventh as Mercedes made another poor start to the season.

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The seven-time world champion has criticized his team for not listening to him over the development of their 2023 car. With Mercedes continuing to pursue their ‘zero sidepod’ concept following a torrid 2022 campaign, Toto Wolff has admitted that they have made a mistake. This has left the team once again on the back foot and with a significant amount of work to do if they are to have any hope of challenging for the title this season.

Mercedes are planning to bring a major upgrade early in the season, but unfortunately, those revisions won’t come in time for this weekend’s race in Saudi Arabia. Until developments arrive, it looks set to be a case of ‘damage limitation’ for the German manufacturer.

Jeddah is expected to suit the W14 better than Bahrain, and so a step forward in competitiveness could come. However, Mercedes looks miles away from challenging Red Bull and may find themselves behind Ferrari and Aston Martin once again.

The frustration for Hamilton must be palpable, given that he is out of contract at the end of the year and yet to sign a new deal with Mercedes. He will undoubtedly be looking to put in a strong performance in Saudi Arabia and start the long climb back up the championship table.

It remains to be seen whether Mercedes can turn things around and mount a serious challenge for the championship this season. However, with the competition looking stronger than ever, they will need to act fast if they are to avoid being left behind in the race for the title.