After more than a fifty year absence from Formula One, Mercedes rejoined the sport, buying the championship winning Brawn GP for the 2010 season. The team recruited out of retirement Michael Schumacher who left Ferrari at the end of 2006 and alongside him they brought in Nico Rosberg who had spent the last four years with the Williams team.

Rosberg had just one podium to his name but was seen by mercedes as a promising back up to there seven times world champion yet in their three seasons together, Rosberg finished ahead of Schumacher in the drivers’ championship and in 2010 and 2012, Rosberg came close to scoring double the number of points of his more decorated team-mate. Schumacher was just 13 points behind in 2010 but overall Rosberg held the advantage with 324 points to 197. were once King of Hill in Formula One land winning an eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014-2021. Yet has happened throughout the history of F1, a big regulation car design change came along and the silver arrows were caught out.

Then in came lewis Hamilton to depose the German maestro and a year later the all new V6 turbo hybrid Mercedes power unit was deployed at what would become one of the most dominant eras ever seen in F1. Mercedes customers were just not capable of deploying the power units as successfully as Mercedes, but since a change in the regulations this is clearly no longer true given McLaren’s superiority over the German manufacturer.

 

 

 

 

Mercedes progress sporadic

Despite missing the boat on the new ground effect cars in 2022, Mercedes managed to win a single Grand Prix in 2022 with George Russell in Brazil. The 2023 car produced by Brackley faired even worse by failing to win a single race and with a best of six out of a potential forty four podiums.

The Silver Arrows did pip Ferrari to second place in the constructors’ championship last year, but the meagre three point advantage when compared to the 451 point deficit to Red Bull meant the victory was ‘small beans’.

This season Mercedes are now fourth in the pecking order after another bad start which saw them claim best finishing positions of fifth just twice in the first eight rounds before the Canadian Grand Prix.

However the team have seen something of a revival since the Spanish Grand Prix, winning three of the seven Grand Prix held since then. Yet their main rivals Ferrari have steadied the ship since th summer recess and on previous form are favourites at the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix.

Astonishing value of Perez crash bill in 2024

 

 

 

Mercedes’ circuits now fewer

Toto Wolff is feeling gloomy about his team’s prospects for the remainder of the year. Despite winning three of the four Grand Prix prior to the summer break, Mercedes `have just one podium in the three weekends since. Even the P3 for George Russell last time out was due to Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez taking each other out of the race promoting the Mercedes’ driver from P5 to P3.

The Mercedes boss muses about the circuits where even in the new FIA ground effect car design regulations they have gone well. “[Where we were] traditionally fast was Barcelona, Silverstone, Spa at times. What’s the next one that’s coming? Austin was a good one for us, Brazil was a good one for us. Not so many good ones left. We feel that Austin is an opportunity,” said Wolff in the Baku paddock.

Toto believes the run in to the end of the season is not about which teams go well at certain venues because the gaps are now so small. “Between those eight cars, it can swing because we’re not talking about tons of time. We’re talking about two or three tenths either direction. Then you have an outlier like Leclerc in Baku or in Monza where they’ve always been strong. 

“This is about who is getting the balance as good as possible and who is having the tyres in the right window and what kind of aero concept works well at a given track.”

Marko throwing in the towel? “If I’m honest, yes”

 

 

 

Ferrari strong in Singapore

In terms of teams being strong in Singapore, Ferrari are apparently the favourites for the 2024 Grand Prix, yet the history of winners in the city state is diverse. Ferrari have won two of the four last races held in Singapore, but Mercedes and Red Bull also have a win to their name.

Yet the opinion is that its Ferrari’s to lose this year at the marina Bay Circuit and Toto Wolff adds his weight to that opinion. “Ferrari was really strong there [Singapore] last year, so I have no doubt that it’s the third in the row where they can race for the win. Red Bull wasn’t last year. We were doing okay. McLaren was doing okay. So it’s four teams now that are very close.”

However, the reason Formula One in 2024 has been as exciting as it has is because Pirelli have delivered tyres to the teams which have caused them to believe ‘black magic’ is at play. Each of the top four have benefitted from perfect climate conditions for their cars at circuits where there aero works best, which has seen seven different F1 race winners after seventeen rounds of the scheduled twenty four.

The plans to level the playing field in Formula One now appear to be working. Caps on revenue spent going racing have helped the smaller teams grow closer to the times the bigger teams cant set and we have a genuine four way battle each weekend, which may soon become a 5-way should Adrian Newey’s impact at Aston Martin be as effective as expected.

Red Bull surprise announcement coming in Singapore

 

 

 

Hamilton copies Alonso

Brazil and Austin have been happy hunting grounds for Mercedes in their barren years. George Russell won there Sprint and the Grand Prix in 2022. At the 2023 USGP in Austin, Hamilton looked the quickest driver but he and Charles Leclerc were disqualified after their underfloor planks were found to have worn below the regulated limit.

Lewis Hamilton had a miserable time in Baku. Starting from the pit lane Hamilton was fortunate to score points and only due to the crash of Sainz and Perez. “It had so much understeer that instead of going smoothly, I had to swerve to make it slide in all the corners because it didn’t go in as it should,” Hamilton noted, via quotes by Marca.

“You remember Fernando Alonso at the time when he was winning his championships? This is the driving style I have had to apply.”

With an non compliant car and Bridgestones made out of granite, Alonso used to throw his Renault car into the corner, crank on the opposite lock and force the back of the car to rotate. Whilst Hamilton is known for his aggressive driving style he has never driven with this style, preferring a car that bends to his wishes when he wants the rear to rotate.

Russell debunks hge F1 myth

 

 

 

HAMILTON TARGETTED? FIA PRESIDENT DOESN’T WANT F1 TO BECOME ‘ANGRY RAPPERS’

The FIA calls for reduction in swearing on Formula One broadcasts demanding that “we need to differentiate between motorsport and rap music,” – The landscape of Formula 1 broadcasting could be set for a significant change as the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) calls for a reduction in the amount of swearing broadcast during races. But is the president out of line with such censorship?

While profane outbursts from drivers are often censored with beeps or bleeps, the increasing frequency and intensity of such language has raised concerns from the sport’s governing body… READ MORE