2023 Recap: Mercedes, the P2 in the championship that conceals the forest of underperformance
After a difficult end to the 2022 season for the German team, 2023 held the promise of better things. Even though the Hamilton-Russell duo finished 2nd in the constructor's championship, no victories were brought home.
Faced with the Red Bull ogre, all the teams missed their season. Except for Ferrari, who managed to snatch a victory from the Austrian company. But let’s save Ferrari’s assessment for later. Here, it’s time for Mercedes.
Car Performance
After a very difficult year in 2022, the engineers based in Brackley had their work cut out for them to close the gap with Red Bull. However, right from the Australian Grand Prix, George Russell was able to make the triple world champion doubt himself by taking the lead in the race. And by showing an interesting pace, before retiring. During this event, Lewis Hamilton secured the team’s first podium finish.
It was not until Barcelona that we saw a Mercedes back on the podium. Proof of the domination of Red Bull and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, while the Silver Arrows were struggling.
Hungary could predict a good result for the seven-time world champion, with a last-minute pole position. Beating Max Verstappen by a few thousandths. But the Dutchman didn’t give any chance to his rival of the 2021 season.
In Singapore, the two Mercedes, thanks to a different strategy, were able to consider a one-two finish. However, they didn’t count on Carlos Sainz’s cunning move which blocked everyone behind. And the accident involving George Russell. By the way, the driver number 63 has been more noticed in a negative way than positive this season. The reason being his collisions with fellow drivers and a glaring lack of performance compared to Lewis Hamilton.
The end of the season was almost anonymous. Even in Brazil, where Mercedes had achieved its only victory in 2022. The German team was absent. Nevertheless, the Russell-Hamilton duo managed to secure a second place by the skin of their teeth in the constructors’ championship. And this despite Ferrari’s strong comeback.
Reliability
Mercedes has dropped out 6 times this season, but they had to lose significant points due to the disqualification of Lewis Hamilton’s car, who finished second in the Miami Grand Prix.
The retirements of the German team are not only due to mechanical issues or accidents. This disqualification would have particularly allowed Mercedes to safely maintain its second position in the standings during the last round of the season, as Ferrari ultimately finished only 3 points behind the team for that second position in the championship.
In Qatar, Hamilton had to retire in the first lap due to a collision with his teammate, George Russell, in the first corner. Both drivers had performed well in qualifying and were hoping for a strong finish on Sunday. Apart from the disqualification, this is the only time Hamilton was unable to reach the finish line in 2023.
George Russell was less successful. He had to retire 4 times. 3 times, the mechanics let him down. In addition, he experienced a very complicated accident in Singapore. Under the pressure from Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in the final lap, the British driver hit the wall and crashed straight into a tire barrier on the last lap. On the verge of stepping onto the podium, he ended up very far from scoring any points that day.
Optimization of the strategy
Heading in the wrong direction with a car without side pods, Mercedes has started to rectify the situation and gradually catch up with its competitors. While one can criticize the lack of performance from the star brand due to this decision, one cannot fault them for trying. It didn’t work out, but by returning to the pack, the silver arrows have gained momentum. So, to regain victory, they must continue on this path.
The duel between teammates
Qualifications: Lewis Hamilton: 11; George Russell: 11
Course : Lewis Hamilton: 15; George Russell: 7.
If the start of the season largely turned in favor of George Russell, the seven-time world champion quickly returned to the fight from the Monaco Grand Prix. This is even evident in his pole position in Hungary. While Lewis Hamilton has been remarkable in his career in the exercise of the fastest lap, George Russell has also shown that he can push his car to the limit. The two men finish equal on this statistic.
However, in racing, driver number 44 was much better as he finished ahead of his teammate on 15 occasions.
