After the Formula 1 GP in Brazil, which was disastrous from Mercedes’ perspective – the “worst weekend in 13 years,” according to the Silver boss – Toto Wolff made a merciless verdict: “This car doesn’t deserve a win.”
Hamilton crossed the finish line in eighth place, was hopelessly behind, and George Russell even had to park the W14 in the garage early. Sao Paulo was a bitter setback for the Silver Arrows. Because Mercedes actually thought it was on the rise. Hamilton had previously crossed the finish line in second place behind Verstappen twice. Even though the Brit was disqualified in Austin – the silver trend seemed to be right.
There was no sign of it in Sao Paulo. Neither in qualifying nor in the sprint nor in the main race were Hamilton and Russel able to get involved at the front. “A race to forget,” Hamilton commented on his Sunday and described the Mercedes dilemma: “There are moments when it looks like the car is working and there are moments when that’s not the case.” In Brazil it was not the case.
“We have a strong structure and are a solid team that didn’t look like a solid team today,” Wolff put his finger in the wound. The latest results showed that something fundamentally went wrong in the development of the car. “It’s so unpredictable that it can go either way.” Still an arrow in Austin and Mexico, the Mercedes pendulum swung towards the cucumber in Brazil.
The lack of pace was “astonishing” and “unacceptable,” emphasized Wolff and announced a radical change of scenery with a view to 2024. “We will have a fundamentally different car next year and this (Brazil, editor) confirms that it is right to do that.”
Formula 1: Mercedes loses long-time “number 1 employee”
Before the Sao Paulo GP, Mercedes announced that the previous head of technology, Mike Elliott, was leaving the racing team. Wolff described the Brit as his long-standing “number 1 employee”. Elliott played a central role in the silver team’s seven constructors’ and six drivers’ titles from 2014 to 2021: first as aerodynamics boss, later as technology director.
However, with the start of the new aerodynamic rules in 2022, Elliott and his team gambled away with their concept: the Mercedes, which was essentially built without side pods, drove and hopped behind. Since then, the team has been desperately trying to reconnect with Red Bull.