10 March 2023 , 09:21
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Mercedes could be set for further F1 humiliation if Lewis Hamilton and George Russell don't perform in the W14 cars in Saudi Arabia and Australia.
After their struggles in 2022, there was much intrigue as to how the Silver Arrows would react this season, especially with Hamilton reportedly ready to walk away from the sport at the end of the year if he's not provided with a competitive car. But the opening weekend in Bahrain proved a harrowing one, with Hamilton only fifth and Russell seventh.
Again Red Bull were dominant with Max Verstappen taking the chequered flag from Sergio Perez, but it was Aston Martin who provided the story of the weekend. Spanish icon Fernando Alonso was third, and Lance Stroll defied hand injuries - and an early collision with his teammate - to finish sixth.
And now, Merc HQ are considering a drastic move that would compound the misery for Toto Wolff and co. If performances don't improve in the next two races in Saudi Arabia and Australia, then according to The Objective, bosses will give the best engines it produces to Aston Martin to help them compete with Red Bull.
Mercedes supply power units to Lawrence Stroll's team and are also shareholders, and would have a vested interest in aiding any potential title bid. Such a move would send a powerful message to Wolff that his team's reign at the top of the sport is over, temporarily at least.
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The current crisis there has been exacerbated by Hamilton's claims that staff members haven't listened to his suggested changes. "Last year, I told them the issues that are with the car. I've driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn't need," he told reporters after Bahrain.
The fight between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton was one of the highlights of Bahrain, with the Spaniard passing his rival late on (Frank Augstein/AP/REX/Shutterstock)"And I think it's really about accountability," he added. "It's about owning up and saying 'yeah, you know what, we didn't listen to you, it's not where it needs to be and we've got to work'."
Following that outburst, it was reported by Italian publication Formu1a.uno that an emergency meeting took place this week at the team's factory in Brackley. Technical director Mike Elliott was reportedly given an "ultimatum" to ensure the W14 vehicles were in a position to compete for wins.
Russell has also poured fuel on the fire by suggesting the team simply can't catch Red Bull this year, backing Verstappen and Perez to win all 23 races between them. His prediction has been dismissed by Christian Horner though, who i nsisted the campaign was a "marathon" with twists to come.