'Only Verstappen's Red Bull is guaranteed to be super-fast anywhere'

While Mercedes continues to hope for victory in a very difficult year, Mark Hughes of Sky Sports the team's prospects for the final six races of the 2022 Formula One season.

Not only has Mercedes' dominant era come to an end after eight constructors' titles in a row, but the team did not even manage to win a race in the current F1 season so far. The hope is still there at the German racing team, but there is also the realisation that that George Russell or Lewis Hamilton are unlikely to succeed on their own.

Mercedes dependent on problems Red Bull and Ferrari

Hughes stresses that Mercedes understands the W13 better now than earlier in the season and that the car performs quite well on certain circuits - depending on the ride height at which it can be driven - but adds that the car is still losing out to the stronger-performing cars from Red Bull Racing and Ferrari.

"As soon as ride heights need to be raised, the Mercedes appears to lose more of its downforce than the Ferrari and - especially - the Red Bull," says Hughes. Moreover, the rear suspension does not allow for the necessary adjustments that allow driving with varying ride heights without the well-known porpoising problems returning.

"A win for either Lewis Hamilton or George Russell in the remaining races, as they will likely always have to beat two Red Bulls and two Ferraris to do that," the Sky analyst continues.

Nevertheless, he still sees opportunities for Mercedes, provided the Ferraris struggle with tyre degradation and Sergio Perez with his RB18. "It is only Max Verstappen's Red Bull which can be almost 100 per cent guaranteed to be super-fast on every day at every track," concludes Hughes.