Mercedes: "Red Bull and we are in the same boat"

Mercedes is not entirely satisfied with the course of the second week of testing in Bahrain. The German racing team is spending so much time solving porpoising that it lacks the time to complete the normal test program in its entirety. The W13 is not yet performing as Mercedes had envisioned.

In an interview with Auto, Motor und Sport a Mercedes engineer says that all teams will work hard in the coming days to find a solution to counteract the porpoising. "The key in the week before the Grand Prix will be how well the teams solve the problem. We are talking about alleviating it, not fixing it. In our opinion, it may take until the summer for everyone to find a way."

Moreover, a solution to prevent porpoising in Bahrain does not automatically mean that the bouncing at other Grands Prix at different circuits will not return. It will be a struggle every weekend to find the right set-up and according to Mercedes, it might take until the summer before a definitive solution is found by the teams.

Mercedes not yet in shape

Whereas Mercedes' 2022 car has so far been very impressive in the slow corners, a lot of time is lost in the faster corners. The W13 does not yet perform exactly as it is tested in the simulator. "Red Bull and we are in the same boat, and that is that we don't have the form we want to have. If there was a race on Sunday, Ferrari would win by a clear margin," said an unnamed Mercedes employee.