Mercedes drivers dissatisfied with W13: 'They have to accept that'

While the mood at Red Bull Racing and Ferrari is positive after the test week, they seem to be looking for answers at Mercedes. In Barcelona they were still extremely fast, but in Bahrain they were no longer at the top of the timesheet. Although they covered the most laps of all the teams, it is far from flawless for the reigning world champions.

This is also seen by Lawrence Barretto, who had nevertheless expected more from the silver arrows in Bahrain. "While reliability was good, as it has been throughout pre-season, performance was less impressive, with the Silver Arrows struggling to control the bouncing," the F1 journalist explains on Formula1.com.

Lots of homework for Mercedes

So while George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are left with questions about how to go about improving the car, Red Bull and Ferrari do seem to have taken the right turn. In Bahrain, those were the teams that set the speed.

"It left Russell and Hamilton wanting more from the W13 and accepting that they have a lot of work to do ahead of the first race. This is Mercedes, though. They are the eight-time reigning world champions and well-versed in fighting back when their backs are against the wall," Barretto concludes.