Mercedes should be able to get it right this weekend in the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain. However, the German racing team did not look completely stable during the winter tests, as Michael Schmidt writes on Auto, Motor und Sport.
Whereas the team has consistently competed for the top places for the last eight seasons, it seems to be struggling with the new rules that will apply in 2022. It caused Mercedes to search for the right form during the test days in Barcelona and Bahrain, making Lewis Hamilton and George Russell fear for a difficult season start.
Big challenge for Mercedes
Not all teams and drivers take Mercedes' current form seriously. Max Verstappen, for example, indicated earlier that the Germans have often pretended to be struggling, but that they were always there during the first race. The Dutchman is therefore convinced that Mercedes will come back.
Schmidt, however, is not sure of that yet. "The weak points are on the straights and in the fast corners," he lists the problems. "A clear indication that Mercedes has to drive with a lot of ground clearance to avoid the porpoising. That takes downforce."