The concept of ruthlessness inherent in the genetics of motorsport meets an amplifier when it comes to its premier class. There Formula One. Mercedes has succeeded in the arduous and unpleasant undertaking of go from winning eight consecutive constructors' titles, to being overtaken by a customer team. The W14 project didn't take many miles to be judged a failure, and the impression is that, in Brakley, the walls of a collective accustomed to winning, and found themselves having to settle for the crumbs of the most bitter rivals, are starting to creak. God Save the Mercedes.
A relaunch that smells like a step backwards
With the advent of the new regulatory era last year, Mercedes got their first single-seater wrong in a long time. It can be a one-off, nobody is perfect. What is strange is the recurrence of the error. Can such a team, with first-rate human and economic capital, KO two rounds in a row? Obviously yes, but the chances are slim, especially after the pre-test optimism that reigned around the team. Wolff's political battle with technical directives was not enough to shorten the gap, and now we no longer know what to hold onto to make the belly-zero project work.
Among other things, the stubbornness of the technical leadership is also surprising, as they have chosen to cling to a concept that is as sophisticated as it is complicated to make work. The idea, maybe wrong or maybe not, is that the flashes of performance seen by the technicians in the second half of last season, constitute the true condemnation of the Anglo-German team. A team that has trusted a philosophy that goes beyond the understanding of any cutting-edge supercomputer and software. A data correlation never found that pushes technicians, mechanics and drivers to the brink of the abyss.

Mercedes trudges, and rivals fly
Fifty. This is the number of seconds collected in race by Lewis Hamilton against a Red Bull that resembles a fighter rather than a single-seater. The gap has not narrowed, on the contrary, it has increased. The W14 is very fast on the straights, but struggles through the fast corners. Front tire turbulence is poorly managed. The consequence is that these dirty the flows, which arrive at the rear not as one would like.
The team principal Toto wolff he certainly did not spare himself in the face of Sunday's disappointing result: "There is not a single positive that we as Mercedes can take from this race. Aston Martin has the second fastest car. Red Bull is on another planet. We lack the pace. The riders have to push and this damages the tyres. Today was a real wake-up call for us."
About the Milton Keynes team, the words of George Russell they give a good idea of how elusive the lady in blue is: “Red Bull have the championship in hand, I don't think there is anyone who can fight with them this year. I expect them to win every race this season. This is my bet. With the performance they showed in Bahrain, I don't see anyone who can challenge them".
To make the situation even more complicated is the overtaking of Aston Martin. Being outmatched by a customer team is a very unique thing. The work of Silverstone team is certainly worthy of ovations, but the demerits of Mercedes in sono eccome.
And now? Mercedes has to decide
The modus operandi of the black sails team is commendable. Since the technicians put a non-competitive car on the track in 2022, team principal Toto Wolff has not panicked. Together when you win and when you lose is the leitmotif that has been echoing for months. No revolving doors, no 'bounced heads'. The union is what made the team strong even when in the past the opponents seemed to be able to undermine an iron superiority. However, there is always a but.

Why a change of technical top management does not seem utopianat least in the medium to long term. Over the technical director Mike Elliott hangs the charge of having two wrong cars consecutively, and the premature rejection of the car by Toto Wolff portends an unserene climate if the flaws of the W14 are not patched up in the current season. There are already those who speak of machine B, and who of radical changes starting from Imola. What is certain is that the team risks wasting another year, and more. Finally, there is another scary question: What will Lewis Hamilton, expiring at the end of 2023, do if he does not see the team's future with optimism? Posterity will judge.
SOURCE: Motorsport Italy; declarations of fuoritraccetto.com and tag24.com