2023 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[mkay]

They are exaggerating bit too much. They'll be at most 3-4 tenths behind in Q, but I think closer to 2 tenths... In the race they will be only slightly behind

I'm still going with the 6 tenths that Mercedes claimed. Reading between the lines, they are very much not expecting to be competitive.

Team already is focusing press saying how the car is "a solid foundation to build on".

Agreed. We'll find out for sure in 48 hours or so.

I have a feeling this is make or break for Elliott though. Or at least it should be.

[Xyz22]

Agreed I'm thinking the top 3 teams will be within 3 tenths

This seems way too optimistic.

[stonehenge]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/merc ... /10438409/

Now, speaking ahead of the 2023 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, Russell reckons the resolutions came "pretty easily".

Asked by Motorsport.com whether the W14 would prove to be another 'diva', a term used previously by Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff, Russell responded: "We had a really good time between the test and the race to analyse what happened throughout the test.

"There were a few things going on with the car that we didn't quite expect. But we have been able to resolve them pretty easily. It was just working in slightly the wrong window."

[ValeVida46]

Agreed. We'll find out for sure in 48 hours or so.

I have a feeling this is make or break for Elliott though. Or at least it should be.

I don't think so.

Elliott has been a fantastic asset to the team since joining in 2012.
2022 with a new rule set they went their own route and it didn't pay off. Chopping board chatter for Elliott is still far too premature imo. Especially how they turned the W13 around toward the end of the season.

[organic]

[zakhassan44]

i knew it, it was completely stupid for them (in a cost cap era) to develop 2 different cars "just in case" one didn't work lol

[AR3-GP]

Keep in mind it was a rumor started by Ted Kravitz...

[chrisc90]

Whos right then? Lewis for saying there wont be a 2nd car, or Elliot when he said there will be a significantly different look of the W14 at Baku.

Something tells me they losing track of what everyone is telling the media.

[e30ernest]

Whos right then? Lewis for saying there wont be a 2nd car, or Elliot when he said there will be a significantly different look of the W14 at Baku.

Something tells me they losing track of what everyone is telling the media.

It doesn't mean that it looks different that it would be a second car. There have been numerous times where the team said the car would look "different" and it turned out more to be recontouring of existing elements or addition of various vanes rather than actually being a different car.

[Sofa King]

Twisting the truth is part of most sports

Whos right then? Lewis for saying there wont be a 2nd car, or Elliot when he said there will be a significantly different look of the W14 at Baku.

Something tells me they losing track of what everyone is telling the media.

[AR3-GP]

Whos right then? Lewis for saying there wont be a 2nd car, or Elliot when he said there will be a significantly different look of the W14 at Baku.

Something tells me they losing track of what everyone is telling the media.

I don't see a difference. I just see semantics. All cars evolve over a season. Aston Martin said 2/3rds of their car "will change" over the season. Should that be called a "different car"? It's not worth mentioning imo.

[dans79]

Imo, the issue is the press overly dumming down fundamental concepts.

Changes to body work != a different/new car.

[PlatinumZealot]

They are exaggerating bit too much. They'll be at most 3-4 tenths behind in Q, but I think closer to 2 tenths... In the race they will be only slightly behind

I'm still going with the 6 tenths that Mercedes claimed. Reading between the lines, they are very much not expecting to be competitive.

Team already is focusing press saying how the car is "a solid foundation to build on".

Agreed. We'll find out for sure in 48 hours or so.

I have a feeling this is make or break for Elliott though. Or at least it should be.

Mercedes team spirit is so strong I don't think the car's performance will be put down to one man so that he can be unceremoniously fired like over at Ferrari. Each man knows his contribution and why they are lacking.

[PlatinumZealot]

Whos right then? Lewis for saying there wont be a 2nd car, or Elliot when he said there will be a significantly different look of the W14 at Baku.

Something tells me they losing track of what everyone is telling the media.

What spin!

[AR3-GP]

I was listening to Lewis's interview in the weekend warmup, and he seemed so adamant that "there is a gap, and it's not insignificant".