Hamilton and Russell boost as Mercedes make key decision in Ferrari fight

28 September 2023 , 07:05

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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell haven't had much to celebrate in 2023 (Image: Getty Images)

Mercedes' head of race strategy has confirmed the team will have more upgrades this season - as they battle with Ferrari for P2.

Red Bull have already won this year's Constructors' Championship after claiming P1 in all but one Grand Prix so far, with six still to go. Max Verstappen has won a staggering 13 races and is almost guaranteed to claim a third consecutive Drivers' Championship.

Although Mercedes won't win either title this season, they are still determined to finish second behind Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship. They currently occupy that position but are only 20 points ahead of Ferrari, who have closed the gap in recent weeks.

Mercedes' refusal to give up on 2023 is good news for drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who are eager to finish the season strongly. Hamilton can still finish second in the Drivers' Championship, as he's just 33 points behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez.

Mercedes' head of race strategy Rosie Wait confirmed the upgrades to their W14 car following the Japanese GP. Hamilton finished the race in fifth, with Russell in seventh. Tellingly, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished in fourth and sixth respectively.

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"This decision is never as black and white as it seems," said Wait on YouTube. "Whilst we will have to use the winter to make more fundamental developments to W15, there are plenty of things we can do with the current car which will both make it faster and aid our learning and understanding to develop next year's car.

"That's what we've already been doing and will continue to do. So, the new parts we bring to the track do both; hopefully add performance and make the current car go faster, but they are all specifically targeted around areas where we need to further our understanding.

Hamilton and Russell are hoping to finish the season strongly (Getty Images)

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"The things we will learn from testing them this year will directly feed into the development of the W15. We also mustn't lose sight of the fact that we are in a tight battle for P2 with Ferrari and that position in the championship is really important to all of us. So, we have upgrades in the pipeline and will continue to be bringing them to the car."

Although Mercedes want to finish in P2, their desire to make W15 a title-winning car is clear. Team chief Toto Wolff said "the sails are set for 2024" in an interview with F1's website.

Mercedes have achieved significant success since their return to F1 in 2010, winning eight consecutive Constructors' Championships and seven consecutive Drivers' Championships. Yet they've struggled to compete with Red Bull during the last two seasons.

Tom Blow