For the past 2 years, Mercedes has not been able to challenge Red Bull for the Championship. Now the team is pulling all the tricks in the book to get back to winning. Lewis Hamilton has now dedicated his free time to being in the factory and helping the team develop their car.
Ever since the new regulation change took place in 2022, Mercedes have not been able to compete for the World Championship. Red Bull on the other hand has been dominating the sport. After winning the WDC in 2021, Max Verstappen has been on a roll. He has gone on to break multiple records. Most recently, he broke the record for most consecutive wins after winning the Italian Grand Prix.
In an attempt to catch up to Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton has announced that he will work in the factory during the winter break to help the team develop their car. Lewis Hamilton recently signed a contract extension with the team which will last until the 2025 season. He will be hoping to win a Championship with this contract extension.
Lewis ficará na fábrica no fim de 2023 durante as férias de inverno junto com o Bono e Shov para acompanhar minunciosamente o processo para 2024.
🎙️“Veremos o que funcionou e o que não funcionou. Você apenas precisa ser honesto. Isso cria mais tempo para outras coisas.”
Os anos… pic.twitter.com/SAa9hvqhCa
— Mercedes-AMG F1 Brasil 🇧🇷 (@MercedesAMGF1BR) September 15, 2023
After saying that he would spend his winter helping the team, Lewis Hamilton said: “We’ll see what worked and what didn’t. You just have to be honest. This creates more time for other things.”
Last year, it was assumed that Mercedes were nowhere close to Red Bull’s pace. There was speculation that they would be designing an entirely new car for the 2023 season. However, they did not do so. It is reported that their victory with George Russell during the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix gave them the indication that they were on the right track. But the 2023 season has proven otherwise.
Lewis Hamilton assured Mercedes F1 turnaround in 2024
While Lewis Hamilton is committed to the team for the next 2 years, Toto Wolff and Mercedes are also making efforts to help Lewis Hamilton win a Championship. The team has been itching for a Championship since they lost the 2021 WDC.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Mercedes would shift their focus to the 2024 car instead of bringing upgrades to the 2023 car. This could mean that they are going for an entirely new concept to build the W15 for the 2024 season.
This gives the team a better chance to challenge Red Bull for the Championship. This season, Red Bull seemed to be unbeatable. It was predicted that they would win every race this season. However, Red Bull lost their first race of the season during the Singapore Grand Prix last week. Mercedes was close to winning as well but was denied by Carlos Sainz and his tactics to defend against them.
#F1: Toto Wolff: “We will throw this [car] in the bin when it’s really fast and then embark on a new journey.”
“I think we have encouraging signs from the tunnel of a balanced car that’s going to be more together, and we have answers to our questions. So, we are really looking…
— deni (@fiagirly) September 20, 2023
The Singapore Grand Prix proved that Red Bull is not unbeatable. Although the RB19 has won almost every race this season, the car does have its weaknesses. There is a small possibility that Red Bull will struggle during the Las Vegas Grand Prix as well. But let’s wait and see.
If Mercedes are able to get a jump on Red Bull next year, we could see an interesting battle for the Championship. We could even see Ferrari jump in on this battle. For the last 2 races, Ferrari have made their own progress. Carlos Sainz took 2 consecutive pole positions and converted his last one to a win. So it would be interesting if we see a 3-way battle for the Championship next season.
Do you think Mercedes will be able to challenge Red Bull for the Championship? Post your answers in the comment section below.
