2023 F1 Season Underway: Mercedes Already Too Far Behind?

Pre Season Testing

Every team had an opportunity to work out the issues and hone in their newest cars in a real-world setting during the pre-season testing in Bahrain a couple of weeks back. And although we can never read too far into F1 performances and lap times during this period, it was apparent that Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell didn't have the car they wanted. 

First Race Weekend

And those concerns were subtly echoed by team principal Toto Wolff. As the teams got a little more serious testing out their qualifying and race performance during the practice sessions, it became clearer that the Silver Arrows were a ways off from the fastest lap times. 

Surprise Surprise

Not only did we not see the Mercedes top the timing sheets, but we were also surprised by the surging Aston Martin of the legendary Fernando Alonso, which surpassed the Red Bulls a couple of times during free practice. Still, we had to wait for qualifying and the race to see exactly where things stood in terms of overall performance.

Quali

On Saturday, when it came time to set the fastest single lap times, the Brackley-based team's nightmare began to prove a reality. Russell and Hamilton lined up in 6th and 7th, behind the two Red Bulls, the two Ferraris, and now also Alonso's Aston Martin! But there are still plenty of unanswered questions regarding actual race pace, especially on a track like Sakhir, where the rear-end is under constant stress. 

Race

The race looked promising at times, but the Aston Martins didn't seem to fade as the race went on. In fact, having passed Hamilton in an awesome battle, Alonso eventually overtook the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz as well, finishing the race on the podium just behind the two Red Bulls. 

Looking Ahead

There seems to be a lot of disappointment surrounding the Mercedes garage following a season opener that the team was looking at with hopes of getting back to the top. Team boss Toto Wolff appears to be challenging his employees to step up and work harder than they ever have to try to salvage a decent result from this season. It's an extremely difficult position for the team to be in. But from a fan's perspective, the addition of Aston Martin to the mix will mean an exciting season ahead... Aside from the fact that we pretty much already know who's going to win both championships...

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