‘They’ve lost their way’ - Helmut Marko’s honest assessment of Mercedes

As Red Bull dominated the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix with a 1-2 finish, Mercedes only managed fifth and seventh with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell over 50 seconds off the lead.

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While the W14 no longer suffers from porpoising, it seems to lack overall downforce and mechanical grip.

More worryingly for Mercedes is that Aston Martin - who started 2022 as one of the slowest teams - have overtaken them in outright pace.

During the Bahrain GP F1 weekend, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hinted that the team may adopt a new car concept later in the season - a remarkable decision given that there’s only been one race.

Marko believes Mercedes have taken “a step backwards” relative to last year, and that they will find it difficult to challenge Red Bull this year due to the cost cap.

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“Mercedes has more than one obstacle, that’s clear,” Marko told OE24.  

“They have not made any progress compared to last season. If you look at the gaps, it was even a step backwards.  

“They seem to have lost their way somewhere. I am curious to see what they will do now. Because of the cost cap, it’s such a problem to develop the car routinely.

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“How do you put together a completely new car? 

“Unless they make the golden shot, which I wouldn’t assume after recent experiences.”