According to Urheilu’s F1 expert Jukka Mildh, Mercedes is currently suffering from some sort of success hangover.
At the beginning of the F1 season, it has become apparent that Mercedes, which dominated the series a few years ago, has fallen behind the pace of the other top teams. In the opening race in Bahrain Lewis Hamilton was only Fifth and George Russell seventh.
In the qualifying sessions in Saudi Arabia, Russell was fourth and Hamilton seventh. Russell missed out on pole position for Red Bull About Sergio Perez more than half a second and Hamilton almost a second.
Read more: Overwhelming champion favorite Max Verstappen got into trouble in Saudi Arabia – Valtteri Bottas, who lost to his teammate, is confused
After Bahrain, Russell announced in the media that Red Bull will win every race in the rest of the season. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, said that his concerns about this season’s car had not been listened to.
In the F1 episode of Urheilu’s podcast, Mercedes’ problems were tackled. However, the team was praised from the ground to the heavens after the team championships won a record eight times in a row. Also the chief Toto Wolff was abundantly incensed.
Urheilu’s F1 expert Jukka Mildh considers Mercedes’ situation alarming. According to him, Mercedes should have already learned the vagaries of the new cars introduced last season.
– Mercedes is in some kind of hangover. Mercedes has also lost manpower to other teams, Mildh estimates.
Perhaps the most famous departure has been Mercedes’ chief strategist James Vowleswho left to become Williams team manager.
Mildh also does not warm to Hamilton’s words that he was not listened to.
– Hamilton is such a drama king. I don’t believe those words at all, Mildh downloads.
Mildh estimates that Hamilton has perhaps tried to seek some sort of labor peace with his speech. However, the expert does not see the team’s situation as very positive.
– Now that we are in the same situation as last year, Mercedes has quite a mountain to climb, says Mildh and compares it to how last year the Silver Arrow’s car only started working after the middle of the season.
Listen to the F1 episode of Urheilu’s podcast! Jukka Mildh tells, among other things, how Aston Martin has succeeded in its astonishing rise and why Red Bull’s championship celebration cannot be locked up yet. Finland’s greatest F1 hope Tuukka Taponen is also in the vote.
Hamilton has been in the headlines during the race weekends in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The seven-time champion announced on Friday that his and his longtime coach Angela Cullen the paths diverge. Hamilton has not given more specific reasons for the end of the seven-year long and successful cooperation.
Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes expires this season. The contract situation has also come to the fore since the start of the off season. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that the 38-year-old Hamilton will sign a new contract with Mercedes, but does not rule out leaving.
– If Lewis wants to win the championship, he needs to make sure he is in a car capable of that, Wolff said According to the Guardian (you’ll switch to another service).
– If we can’t present Lewis with a championship car for the next few years, he will have to look elsewhere. I don’t think he will at this point in his career. But in a situation like this, I have no complaints if it happens in a year or two.
Lewis Hamilton rose at the end of the 2020 season Michael Schumacher along with the all-time number one in the number of championships.
In the 2021 season, Hamilton fought with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen dramatically in the final race for the championship, but the Dutchman took first place even after questionable stages. Last year was Hamilton’s first in his career when he went without a single race victory.
The second F1 race of the season in Saudi Arabia starts on Sunday at 19:00. Below is the starting order for the race.