After two races, Mercedes AMG F1 is far from its best level and is already worrying several Formula 1 observers and advocates for Lewis Hamilton, such as Mika Häkkinen.
After narrowly missing out on the Formula One title last season, Lewis Hamilton was hoping to make a quick start to his bid for an eighth world title, but Mercedes is far from meeting expectations. While he achieved a miraculous third place in Bahrain, the British driver had to make do with a tenth place in Saudi Arabia and is already seeing Charles Leclerc pull ahead in the overall standings.
In the eyes of Mika Häkkinen, Mercedes needs to get its act together quickly.
“Mercedes has a significant set of problems to solve”
“Mercedes has a big set of problems to solve if it wants to catch up with Red Bull and Ferrari. The team has to react quite quickly because the two top teams will be pushing their own development so hard.
“It was very strange to see Mercedes starting from fifth and sixteenth on the grid. Lewis Hamilton was clearly unhappy with the set-up of his car,” said Mika Häkkinen
It is fair to say that 2022 has been an utterly catastrophic start to the season for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. The seven-time world champion is not getting it right with the W13 and is even being overtaken by Magnussen’s Haas, which is impossible for him to hold on to.
With 29 points behind Leclerc in the Drivers’ standings, is it already too late for Lewis in the title race? Comment below and tell us if you feel Hamilton and Mercedes can turn things around.
I don’t see Mercedes returning to its dominance of the last 8 years, too much has changed from the advantages they have had.
One, Andy Cowell,, has left Mercedes around 18 months ago or so.
His designs have been ground breaking for years and the fact that many experts are claiming Mercedes is struggling with their PU’s in their customer cars, as well as their own, should be alarming because other than strictly monitored ‘reliability’ changes nothing can be changed for four seasons.
The fact only Mercedes was having issues with reliability last year should have been a warning, yet maybe the arrogance born of domination took their eye off the ball.
Two, Aldo Costa departed Mercedes some time ago and he’s truly the only designer, other than the retired Rory Byrne, whose success mirrors Newey but obviously lower key.
With James Allison (to my mind an over-rated designer) also stepping back from leading Mercedes, I believe that this too impacts the team.
Three, and possibly most significant of all, Mercedes, a multi billion dollar profit a year company cannot simply throw money to sort out their problems.
Reports that Mercedes spent a billion and a half developing the dominant engine prior to the start of the hybrid cannot be repeated. With no token spend available, there’s nothing to gain and with a budget cap, their biggest weapon has been nullified.
Four, whilst George Russell has all the enthusiasm of youth to push himself forwards, Lewis is a seasoned multiple champion, nearer the end of his career than the start. His body language would suggest he’s disappointed to not be in the fight and inevitably if Mercedes can’t get it right, will he lead the team as effectively as seasons past?
History would suggest that after a period of dominance like Schumacher, Vettel and Hamilton, the drive is slightly diminished to push like an ambitious youngster would.
Everything is cyclical and I believe Mercedes has finished their ‘golden era’. I don’t doubt they will win races this year, but I don’t think they’ll be championship contenders
Thank you for a really interesting and informative post. I agree with a lot of what you say but although all good things come to an end eventually, I still think MB will be back in the mix this season. Unlike Schumacher and Vettel who were sliding down the grid in good cars, Lewis was imperious last season and should have added to his seven titles, so he isn’t ready to step down yet and I believe still has another title in him.
What makes no sense to me is that a team that has built a foundation on reliability and organisation can start a season with a car that is a disaster. It’s like driving a car over speed bumps continuously at 200mph so impossible to drive, how did they come to that after weeks of testing and their normal preparation, it makes no sense. Also, I have friends who work for AMG racing who are normally quite chatty but are now saying nothing, something is going on.
Lastly, AMG is one of Mercedes greatest brands and F1 is the cornerstone of AMG so although there is no such thing as unlimited funding, money is not going to be an issue. Quite why they are where they are makes no sense to me, it’s like having a Rolex that keeps losing time, it doesn’t happen. The reason why they have been so successful is because they are like a quality Swiss timepiece but now they seem like a Sekonda, it’s weird.
MB spent too much time on the 2021 car in the title fight instead of focusing on the new car. RB did the same, but got lucky that the 2022 car is ok. Simular situation has happened in the past with other teams (RB is notorious for this and I can remember after one of Vettels titles they were 0.4s off the pace start of the next season).
Also showing up at the second test with a radical different car was a bald move, but their Barcelona data was no longer valid. And their design is quite bold.
With that in mind, everything they did should have worked at the first time or there would be trouble. I think they took a too complex design in too less time. I do have respect for MB for taking the gamble, F1 is made for extremes, but I’m afraid they bite off more then they can chew.
F1 is where engineers will tell you it should work, if they can guarantee it works, they are not on the limit of the design.
Mercedes is the third fastest team on the paper. Obviously a aerodynamic glits that make the tortoising. Something make the downforce pulsating. It’s probably a new problem they should have the resources to solve.
“Tortoising”! Beautifully said! What happened to all fanboys screaming that it is the driver, not the car, and that the greoat can win in a cattle truck (or was it a cardboard box?!!)
Now the truth is clear to all and no amount of posturing can change that fact.
Go MB Go, preferably backwards :B
I feel sorry for poor Mercedes, its designers, its hard working mechanics.. in fact I feel sorry for everyone there with the exception of two evil creatures there. It is Mercedes’ comeuppance for not taking into hand those abominations and disciplining them. They have no place in a civilized society.
Hey Vijay, how is the Hamilton and MB trolling going, glad to see your hatred is still burning bright, you haven’t found anything better to do with your life then! 😂 I always wonder what makes someone hate a successful team and a driver that is generally a nice guy who is a philanthropist and gives back without bragging about it and is liked by everyone around him? Is it being a loser, a massive insecurity complex or just plain jealousy or is it Daddy issues and just hate people that are popular. Either way you are a very sad case and continue to post hateful stuff about Lewis on different posts, apparently he is now evil, really!! Have you read your last posts a Psychiatrist conference would spend a day or two on just your last couple of posts alone, particularly the last one. You latch on to someone like Crashstappen because for once someone is challenging your nemesis but he didn’t beat him last year did he, which is why he will ever be known as the 2021 ‘Human Error’ champion 😂
This season the problems MB are having comes from the new rules and MB have messed up badly and Toto is speaking out as it’s unacceptable. As soon as Lewis says anything you trolls are on him like a shot, Lewis moaning again. Firstly it’s ‘Porpoising’ you moron not ”Tortoising’ that made my wife laugh out loud 😂 Also what is a Greoat? 😂 Porpoising is a real issue you idiot, they didn’t make it up to give Lewis an excuse, it’s where the downforce is misdirected and makes the car buck and it’s like driving over speed bumps at 200mph, no driver not even Crashstappen could be a P1 lap in this car. Also, with your head so far up Max’s arse, you probably haven’t noticed that Lewis isn’t himself right now. he will always be a great champion despite what an idiotic armchair racer like yourself thinks but he is suffering probably from the fallout of last year and is handling it like a bereavement, he is depressed but keeps trying to reassure people he is okay but he clearly isn’t. That may be music to the ears of sick people like yourself but he will get past it, he isn’t seven times champ for nothing.
Lastly, Lewis is a great champion, has poise, is gracious and has maturity. Max is a spoilt petulant brat who blames everyone else and continues to make bad publicity and embarrass himself with his lack of class. The last race, his own team had to tell him to shut up whining about Leclerc and focus on the race. The race before he insulted his own team with a stream of obscenities that embarrassed anyone involved in it. That’s just this season, take Jeddah last season what a brat, stomping off the podium after being caught lying! You may have latched yourself to Max because of your hate of Hamilton but you made a very bad choice but I’m guessing that’s just one of many for you. Carry on trolling 😂
Please don’t come back with Crying etc.. try and come up with something original or better still don’t reply at all and find a nice site more your speed like Needlework.