Mercedes have produced a disappointing begin to the 2023 Formula 1 season following seeing their eight-year constructors’ title streak finish in 2022 Watch Saudi Arabian GP final practice reside on Saturday at 1.30pm on Sky Sports F1

ten:46, UK, Saturday 18 March 2023

Toto Wolff says Mercedes’ W14 vehicle will appear “pretty various” in 5-to-seven races’ time following confirming the group is now focused on “1 design and style philosophy”.

Just after getting caught out by the introduction of new design and style regulations final season and seeing their streak of eight successive constructors’ titles ended by Red Bull, Mercedes opted to stick with the similar design and style philosophy for the 2023 Formula 1 season.

Even so, a poor overall performance at the season-opening Grand Prix in Bahrain earlier in March led to Wolff admitting the group had got it incorrect, and would be taking a various path, with speculation swirling more than an alternate ‘Plan B’ vehicle design and style.

Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports F1’s Rachel Brookes following Friday practice at this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Wolff supplied an update on the team’s plans for the coming weeks.

He stated: “The query is what do you imply by a Program B vehicle?

Karun Chandhok requires a close appear at Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes ahead of practice at the Saudi Arabia GP

“I feel that the vehicle is going to appear pretty various in 5, six or seven races primarily based on the choices that we have taken and the improvement path that we have embarked on.”

In addition to coming unstuck beneath the radical new 2022 regulations, Wolff says Mercedes’ capability to recover from their errors has been decreased by the sport’s expense cap, which was implemented in 2021.

“We all voted for the expense cap to kick in with the aim of establishing a extra level playing field,” Wolff stated.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton say they are hoping to ‘maximise’ their overall performance following a different tough day in practice at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

“We have been bitten by that, that is clear at this stage, but I never want to ever say that the expense cap does not enable us to catch back up – it really is extra tough but we basically have to.

“The moment we choose, which we’ve performed, which path to go, exactly where we want to have the vehicle, we’re just finding on with it and pushing tough with that 1 design and style philosophy.”

‘Lauda would want us to copy design and style of other cars’

Neither Wolff nor Mercedes’ British driver pairing Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have supplied any detail on how the W14 will be altered, but the group boss appeared to hint that he believes moving towards the design and style of Red Bull’s pace-setting RB19 is the “basic” choice.

Wolff was asked about what former Mercedes chairman and 3-time F1 planet champion Niki Lauda, who played a essential function in establishing the group as the sport’s dominant force ahead of his death in 2019, would have advised in their present circumstance.

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Niki Lauda (L) was a big portion of Mercedes’ good results ahead of his death in 2019

“I miss him a lot, but I miss him as a buddy foremost,” Wolff stated. “We are all missing him as a chairman.

“For Niki it would have been pretty basic, simply because simplicity is what brings you to the ideal selection and I know precisely what he would have stated.

“‘Our vehicle appears pretty various, let’s make it like the other individuals and optimise it. We have a excellent group, we have excellent technologies and infrastructure, we can do it significantly greater than the other individuals, so why never we just get on with it?

“Issues are pretty basic generally. You can generally reduce all the nonsense out, and at the finish the basic choices in life, which are pretty generally instinctive choices added collectively with information that supports them, and this is how Niki operated. Do not overcomplicate items, get the fundamentals appropriate.”

‘There is a lot to discover from Aston Martin’

Although Mercedes anticipated to begin the season behind reigning planet champion Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, the truth they have been beaten by Aston Martin in Bahrain came as a important surprise.

Important components of Aston Martin’s vehicle, which took Fernando Alonso to third behind the Red Bulls in Bahrain, are supplied by Mercedes, creating their impressive early-season overall performance extra damning to Wolff’s squad.

Fernando Alonso overtook the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton ahead of finding previous Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to finish third at the Bahrain Grand Prix

Alonso’s second-spot finish in second practice in Saudi Arabia on Friday suggests Bahrain will not be a 1-off, but Wolff is attempting to take the positives and says he is satisfied to see his buddy and Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll enjoying good results.

“Why it assists us, they have the entire rear finish from our vehicle, the suspension, the engines, the gear box – all of that, so we know there are places that are seriously very good, that we mustn’t query as well significantly,” Wolff stated.

“But it really is other places exactly where the automobiles are fundamentally various exactly where we want to set our concentrate – there is a lot to discover.

“Lawrence has gone by way of so lots of tough years, and now the group is on the up, they are productive, so it really is for us to discover and not the other way about as it was for lots of years.”

Formula 1 street racing is back! Watch the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix reside on Sky Sports F1 this weekend. Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race are reside at 5pm. Get Sky Sports