If you thought Mercedes’s double podium at the Spanish Grand Prix was unremarkable, you’re not considering the context.
Lewis Hamilton leading home George Russell in second and third is the team’s first double rostrum all season and just its fourth double podium since it won the constructors championship in 2021.
The decline of the once dominant German marque has been sudden.
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But there was something a little different about the weekend’s double podium relative to the sparse achievements of 2022.
This time Mercedes has its eyes wide open about the challenges it’s facing and the route back to the top.
Whereas last year’s successes and solitary victory came from a series of ad hoc upgrades that tended to uncover as many problems as they did solutions, the car fielded in Spain was the product of wholesale aerodynamic changes.
It was a fresh start, and in its first representative outing it was a considerable step forward not only on its previous form but on fellow frontrunning rivals Ferrari and Aston Martin.
The team is confident there’s more to come from the car given it’s so early in its development cycle, and more upgrades are undoubtedly in the pipeline.
Next year the team will be able to change the chassis too, ensuring there’ll be no compromises in the overall design.
But is the path back to victory really that clear after only a week running the new car?
‘WE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND’ WHY THE CAR WASN’T WORKING
Mercedes’s upgrades have been the biggest talking point of the past fortnight in Formula 1 after the team made the bold decision to put its car in the bin and start fresh before the season had even started.
It had become increasingly clear during the pre-season that the evolution of last year’s car had limited development potential, leaving the design team boxed into a corner.
When it hit the track in testing and the first race, it was obvious that the car was too slow for the gap to Red Bull Racing to be closed on the then trajectory.
It must have been a jarring realisation for a team so used to getting its sums right.
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“I think we had to work through this,” team boss Toto Wolff told reporters in Spain. “We had discovered the direction we’d come to simply didn’t work.
“We are a team of people that won eight consecutive championships and got it wrong last year and tried to find out what it was. We didn’t understand.”
A blank piece of paper was called for, and the team pulled out all stops to get a new version of the W14 to the track, a bold move under the constraints of the cost cap and limited wind tunnel time.
A mini restructure was enacted during the process, with Mike Elliott moving upstairs to the strategic chief technical officer role so that James Allison could move back into the hands-on technical director position, Allison having been a key architect of Mercedes’s last four constructors titles.
The result of the efforts arrived in Monaco in the form of what is effectively a B-spec car.
“We took some decisions to go in another direction,” Wolff told Sky Sports on Sunday night. “We changed so many parts, maybe variables we don’t completely understand.
“It was a risky move and everybody just pushed forward.
“I think we just needed the shock at the start of the season to see that this is not going forward.
“There’s lead time — you need to design parts, you need to produce them, and the team back at base did a mega job to produce them and get them in the car.”
WHAT’S CHANGED?
The team thought it could unlock vast pace from last year’s car if it just focused on eliminating the porpoising and bouncing., but every time it came up with an upgrade, some other problem would appear. The team spent all last season chasing its tail.
With the new-spec car the team is no longer trying to problem-solve; it’s simply started again based on a new understanding of how best to design the aerodynamics under these regulations.
“It is a new baseline,” Wolff explained. “It is from where we can continue to work on with a certain stability and without needing to question certain parts of the car, whether it’s the bodywork, floor or front suspension.
“That is now established. This is what we are taking forward now.”
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The biggest visual change is to the sidepods, which are no longer narrow vertical slits but more familiar horizontal structures similar to those used by other teams, though Wolff said this change was only indicative of the team’s no-stone-unturned approach rather than the sidepods being a smoking gun.
“These cars generate more of the downforce through the floor, not through the engine cover,” he said. “But you want to take factors out of the equation.
“If we were to return to a more conventional sidepod and engine cover, at least we don’t need to discuss that anymore.”
The result was a car that appeared much more responsive to set-up changes, as evidenced by a ropy start on Friday leading to a two-three result on Sunday.
“Friday was a real struggle with the balance, it was way out of the window,” Hamilton said. “Then we did some great work overnight … in trying to understand the different downforce levels, and in the race today the car felt great.
“For George to come from 12th to third is just remarkable.”
The car was a clear second quickest in the race behind Red Bull Racing. Hamilton was just 0.084 seconds behind Carlos Sainz in the fight for a front-row start despite having crashed with Russell in Q2, but he was a clear 21 seconds ahead of the Spaniard at the end of the race.
A more interesting comparison is with Sergio Pérez. The Mexican started ahead of Russell on the grid but finished three seconds behind the Briton and off the podium.
That says a lot about the new Mercedes car’s race pace, even if it probably says more about Pérez’s scrappy weekend.
But being able to understand how the car works is more important that pure pace at this early stage, and the early evidence is that the team’s been able to do that.
EXPECTATIONS MUST BE KEPT IN CHECK
Given the new W14 is so fresh, you could fairly argue that there’ll be more pace to come purely just through developing a deeper understanding of the new parts and then through the sort of low-hanging fruit teams tend to find early in the development cycle.
So to the core question: does that mean Mercedes is now Red Bull Racing’s closest challenger, and could it potentially win races on merit by the end of the year?
“They normally say if you’re quick in Barcelona then the car should generally be good everywhere,” Hamilton said. “I think we will be strong in the next races.”
But it’s important to move cautiously with these predictions.
Spanish Grand Prix Full Race Highlights | 06:46
After all, Mercedes has seen several false dawns under these regulations. The first of them came in Barcelona 12 months ago.
At the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix Hamilton appeared to have genuine race-winning pace but was taken out of contention by a first-lap crash with Kevin Magnussen. Russell, just six races into his Mercedes career, finished on the podium.
The team had thought it had figured out its bouncing problems and was finally on the right track. But then came Monaco and Azerbaijan, and the car returned to being its problematic self.
In retrospect the smooth track surface had masked the worst of the car’s underlying problems.
The same could be true this year.
“We have to be realistic,” Wolff told Sky Sports. “The car was in an absolutely mega window.
“Today the temperatures really suited us. It was nice and fresh, not too cold, not too hot.
“Let’s keep our expectations real.”
This was also a race in which Charles Leclerc and Sergio Pérez underperformed, while Aston Martin was well off its usual form.
There’s also no getting around Verstappen’s 24-second victory, even if Wolff thinks the margin is a little exaggerated by circumstance.
“I think it was less,” he said. “Lewis at the end — I think it was two seconds, three seconds — was cruising. It’s probably sub-15, or around 15 seconds. Over 66 laps that’s still a lot.
“That’s just not where we need to be.
“I think we are just much closer, but you see where the benchmark is.
“There’s such a long way to go in order to catch Red Bull, and we just need to grind away.”
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And while Wolff is hopeful that wins could be forthcoming later in the year, he sees the overall comeback as a long-term plan.
“I think Verstappen is just on a different level,” he said. “It pisses me off to say that, but that is the reality.
“It’s a meritocracy, they have just done the best job, the driver is driving excellent, and they’re just far away.
“That is something only we have in our hands to get under control.
“We start from zero. The learning is tremendously important going forward. This will be part of the continuous journey of my team.
“My perspective is not one season; my perspective is 10 or 20 seasons of this team.
“This is going to be that learning, as painful as it is and annoying as these days feel like today, it’s just absolutely necessary to establish a sustainable basis.”
We need a larger sample size before we can say it for certain, but the signs are good that the team is on the way to putting these painful days behind it.
FAQs
Why did Mercedes get it so wrong? ›
The main factor that contributed to the early lack of pace for Mercedes was the porpoising effect. For 2022 the cars relied more on the ground effect to generate the downforce, but in trying to achieve the maximum amount the cars suffered from an unintended consequence: porpoising.
What is the problem with Mercedes in f1? ›' Mercedes also appeared to have an engine deficit during the 2022 season. Their engine appeared to lack straight-line speed at the Bahrain Grand Prix. At one point in the race, Mercedes lagged Ferrari and Red Bull's leading cars by more than half a minute.
Why was Mercedes black? ›Mercedes painted its 2020 car black as “a signal of the team's commitment to fighting racism and discrimination in all its forms.” After two seasons in the colour scheme, which also included the message “End racism”, it switched back to silver.
When did Mercedes come back? ›Mercedes returned to Formula One in 1994 as an engine manufacturer in association with Ilmor, a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company, which developed their engines.
What year did Mercedes quality decline? ›The early 2000s and late 2010s were the worst years for Mercedes-Benz. Their cars had big recalls and numerous issues that led to expensive repairs. While every model has its pros and cons, some problems are widespread.
What has gone wrong at Mercedes? ›It's been a dramatic fall from Mercedes - the team that have won eight consecutive constructors' titles between 2014 and 2021. Speaking on Sky Sports' F1 podcast, Lazenby explained that Mercedes' loss of key personnel is a key contributing factor in their downturn in performance. “All dynasties fall,” he said.
Can Mercedes come back in 2023? ›“Visible changes” to Mercedes' 2023 Formula 1 car are likely within the next few grands prix, but the mooted “bigger departures and more radical changes” remain some way off.
What's wrong with Mercedes F1 car 2023? ›A demoralising start to 2023
It turned out that the relative upturn in form during the second half of the season may have been the worst thing that could have happened to Mercedes, as it was enough to convince them to stick with their much talked about zero-sidepod concept.
- White. 56.1 %
- Hispanic or Latino. 16.7 %
- Black or African American. 13.4 %
That's right; There is a reason why "Mercedes-Benz" is hyphenated. The automaker started off as two manufacturers: Daimler and Benz, which came together, merging on May 1, 1924. At the time, their respective logos were simply placed side by side.
What is the secret behind the Mercedes logo? ›
Mercedes Benz | The iconic tristar on Mercedes Benz cars has its origins in the imagination of Gottlieb Daimler, the founder of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG). As per a story, Daimler drew a tristar on the top of a letter he wrote to his sons. The three stars represent three types of mobility on land, air and sea.
Who sits on Mercedes pit wall? ›Who sits on the pit wall? Generally speaking, the engineers who have responsibility for both cars sit on the pit wall, whereas the engineers based in the garage look after either car No. 44 or No. 77.
Is Mercedes older than BMW? ›Mercedes-Benz was the first automaker to arrive on the scene as the first of the brands to establish itself in 1884, specifically. Next came Audi, in 1909, followed by BMW in 1916.
What is the new Mercedes car for 2023? ›New Mercedes GLS
The Mercedes GLS has been given a facelift for 2023, as has the flagship Maybach GLS and AMG GLS 63. All these cars get tweaked exterior styling, as well as new interior trim options. The engines remain more or less unchanged, although mild-hybrid technology is now offered across the range.
A Mercedes-Benz pre-owned model with 50,000 miles on it, as long as it still runs well, is likely a solid buy. Yet, if you want to get years out of a vehicle and it's over 100,000 miles, you'll want to take a closer look before you make a purchase.
Why do Mercedes lose so much value? ›Mercedes Benz S Class
So why does the Mercedes Benz S Class depreciate so rapidly? For the same reasons most luxury cars depreciate faster. They're commonly leased, leading to a large supply of off-lease, three-year-old Mercedes-Benz S Class models.
The mass lawsuit follows the “dieselgate” scandal that engulfed Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) after it admitted to cheating U.S. diesel engine tests, which has cost the carmaker more than 32 billion euros ($34 billion) in vehicle refits, fines and legal costs so far.
What cars are Mercedes recalling? ›Years, models recalled
2016-2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 (Quantity recalled:128,192 Vehicles) 2016-2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE400 (Quantity recalled: 9,302 Vehicles) 2017-2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE43 (Quantity recalled: 23,149 Vehicles) 2016-2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE450 (Quantity recalled: 5,739 Vehicles)
Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall alert for nearly 324,000 vehicles because their engines can stall suddenly at speed. The problem has an odd cause — water accumulating in the spare tire well. We'll explain.
Why are Mercedes recalling a million cars? ›NHTSA—an agency under the US Department of Transportation for road safety—said in a release in May, “Mercedes-Benz USA will conduct a voluntary recall of approximately 292,287 ML-, GL- and R-Class vehicles produced during the 2006-2012 model year period for potentially corroded brake boosters.
When can I get a 2023 Mercedes? ›
The new generation 2023 GLC SUV will arrive in U.S. dealerships in spring 2023.
How long will a new Mercedes last? ›Mercedes last 15 to 17 years on average
. That's 15 to 17 years based on the average annual mileage of American drivers. How long your Mercedes-Benz car will last depends on multiple factors, including: Your driving habits.
Mercedes revealed pricing for the upcoming 2023 GLC-class SUV, with prices ranging from $48,250 to $54,600. Despite having nearly identical looks to the outgoing model, the 2023 GLC is all new underneath.
What car will be discontinued in 2023? ›- Chevrolet Spark.
- Ford EcoSport.
- Ford GT.
- Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
- Honda Insight.
- Hyundai Accent.
- Hyundai Ioniq.
- Hyundai Veloster.
2022 Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 facelift
Mercedes will allegedly stop selling wagons altogether around 2030, which would imply the C-Class Estate and CLA Shooting Brake are also living on borrowed time. The latter is believed to get a next-gen model later this decade and bow out without a successor at the end of its run.
We're breaking down the MSRP cost for each 2023 E-Class Sedan model below: 2023 E 350: $56,750. 2023 E 350 4MATIC: $59,250. 2023 E 450 4MATIC: $65,550.
Is Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes in 2023? ›Hamilton is currently without a contract for the 2024 F1 season, with his deal at Mercedes coming to an end at the conclusion of the '23 championship.
Who will drive for Mercedes Formula E in 2023? ›- David. Beckmann. ...
- Sam. Bird. ...
- Sébastien. Buemi. ...
- Nick. Cassidy. ...
- António Félix. Da Costa. ...
- Jake. Dennis. ...
- Lucas. Di Grassi. ...
- Mitch. Evans.
"I think that F1 has become so big that everything else has been dwarfed. We were really happy, successful in DTM for over 30 years," he said. "But it has come to a point where the works team, if you wanted to compete, you need 40 or 50 million euros and the return on investment was too small for that."
What is the average income of a Mercedes owner? ›Average Mercedes-Benz Group Product Owner yearly pay in the United States is approximately $109,151, which meets the national average.
Who is Mercedes biggest rival? ›
mercedes-benz.com's top 5 competitors in May 2023 are: mbusa.com, mercedes-amg.com, porsche.com, bmw.com, and more. According to Similarweb data of monthly visits, mercedes-benz.com's top competitor in May 2023 is mbusa.com with 5.8M visits.
Who mostly buys Mercedes-Benz? ›2022 (January to December): Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars delivered 2,043,900 vehicles worldwide but a strong year-end performance hinted at growth opportunities in 2023. China remained the largest single-country market for Mercedes-Benz followed by the USA and Germany.
What does the 3 pointed star mean? ›The Mercedes-Benz 3-pointed star refers to the company's commitment to universal motorization. Each point on the start signifies land, sea, or air–which the Daimler brothers believe that their company would one day conquer.
What is the B logo on Mercedes? ›Brabus GmbH (stylized in uppercase) is a German high-performance automotive aftermarket tuning company founded in 1977 in Bottrop (Ruhr area). Brabus specialises in Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart vehicles, although since 2022 they have also tuned two kinds.
What does the A symbol mean in a Mercedes? ›Attention Assist is a safety feature available on our newer models that monitors your driving behaviour.
What car logo has a 3 pointed star? ›The Three-Pointed Star Logo Meaning
The brainchild of the sons of Gottlieb Daimler, Paul and Adolf Daimler, the original Mercedes-Benz logo was a gold star.
Mercedes-Benz considers this absence a paragon of coupe design and is the only brand to have maintained the tradition since 1961. Moving to the rear, they've totally eliminated the trunk handle, and the Mercedes-Benz badge flips up to reveal the rear-view camera.
What is the full meaning of Benz? ›Frequently found in hip-hop lyrics, Benz is short for Mercedes-Benz, a German luxury car.
Is the Mercedes-Benz emission scandal real? ›Yes, the Mercedes diesel claim is real. Thousands of UK Mercedes owners have already signed up to claim compensation for Mercedes alleged installation of “defeat devices”. The claim itself is similar to the original Volkswagen Dieselgate claim, which is likely to conclude this year.
Did Mercedes cheat on emissions? ›In certain Mercedes vehicles, it is claimed that sophisticated computer software was installed that was able to detect when the car was being run through an emissions test, “triggering a change” in how the engine functioned, according to the High Court claim.
Why is the Mercedes one banned in the USA? ›
However, fans of this car in United States have been hit by a roadblock. This car won't be street-legal in the country, and Mercedes do not want to compromise “it's overall driving character”. As a result, the car won't be for sale in America, which is disappointing news for those who wanted to buy them there.
Is there a class action lawsuit against Mercedes? ›BERLIN, July 12 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz went on trial on Tuesday in a class action-style lawsuit which alleges that the German carmaker knowingly manipulated diesel-emissions tests by installing defeat devices.
Is there a class action lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz? ›The lawsuit seeks to represent owners and lessees of Mercedes C-Class, model years 2010 to 2022; CLS-Class, model years 2010 to 2022; E-Class, model years 2010 to 2022; G-Class, model years 2010 to 2022; GLK-Class, model years 2010 to 2015; SL-Class, model years 2010 to 2022; and SLC/SLK-Class, model years 2010 to 2020 ...
How much will I get for Mercedes emissions claim? ›Mercedes Benz, then known as Daimler AG, agreed in 2020 to pay 250,000 owners up to $3,290 each to get polluting vehicles repaired.
Which car company faked emissions? ›The Volkswagen emissions scandal started on 18 September 2015, when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation of the Clean Air Act to German automaker Volkswagen Group.
Which car companies cheated on emissions? ›The Volkswagen emissions scandal, sometimes known as Dieselgate or Emissionsgate, began in September 2015, when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation of the Clean Air Act to German automaker Volkswagen Group.
How do you know if your car is affected by emissions scandal? ›Enter your vehicle registration to check if your vehicle could be eligible for a diesel claim. Potentially affected vehicles will be highlighted with a warning message. You can then join a claim with a relevant law firm who will ask for further details to confirm if you vehicle was affected.
Has anyone been paid out for diesel claim? ›Yes, the diesel emissions claim is real. This is a group litigation carried out by a group of law firms. Some claimants making claims against Volkswagen have already been paid an average of over £2,100.
How do I make a claim against Mercedes? ›- Your policy number.
- Vehicle registration.
- Other relevant information to make your claim.
Ford is the most commonly recalled make of car—they issued 67 recalls in 2022 alone—and their most recalled model is the F150, with 115 recalls. Over time, Ford has issued 3086 total unique recalls, with each of these recalls affecting many more cars. The most common reason referenced is the automatic transmission.
What is the biggest car recall ever? ›
Minor and Major Recalls
One of the largest recalls in history took place in 2014 when General Motors—the manufacturer with the highest total of recalls in four decades—recalled millions of vehicles including the 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007 Pontiac G5, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR, amongst others.
According to a recent study by iSeeCars, Tesla is the most recalled car brand. In fact, the publication says the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X secure four out of the top five spots for most recalled models.