Mercedes have "big decision to make" in the summer if they underperform

Mercedes were unable to mount a title challenge in the 2022 Formula 1 season. Mercedes hope they have made major gains during the winter break but pre-season testing didn't provide the much needed confidence. 

Bahrain Grand Prix

The Bahrain Grand Prix will give the F1 world their first look into whether or not the gap has closed between Ferrari and Red Bull. And then whether or not Mercedes are in the mix as well. Ultimately, it'll be a longer wait until hard conclusions can be drawn. On the Sky Sports F1 podcast, former driver Karun Chandhok highlights that the wind tunnel reset will mark a turning point. 

"If in the second half of the year Mercedes are so far behind, then they will have big decsions to make. At that point do they go 'forget this car we are out of this fight', and focus on developing a new concept for next year because you can't keep perserving with the same concept for more than two years," Chandhok said. 

The Mercedes team won every single Constructors World Championship between 2014 and 2021. A period of dominace unseen before in Formula 1. But they missed the mark when the rule and regulation changes hit the sport in 2021. Chandhok wonders whether or not the aero department come under pressure regarding their future. 

"If you were someone like Mike Elliot and the aero department, you're starting to feel the pressure in terms of confidence. The development curve will be fascinating. If they can find the answers and unlocked this potential they keep talking about in the first half of the year, then they can build on that," he concluded.