Reuters
Formula One F1 – Steiermark Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Styria, Austria – June 25, 2021 Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in action during practice REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Reuters
Formula One F1 – Steiermark Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Styria, Austria – June 25, 2021 Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in action during practice REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Having lost at four consecutive Grand Prix weekends, Mercedes seem to have lost their recipe for success. Moreover, given their comments about saving resources for next year, it doesn’t seem like they’re trying too hard to come back. Hence, former F1 driver Martin Brundle feels the Silver Arrows have become complacent, as they no longer put in the effort to beat their rivals.
This was clearly seen at the Styrian Grand Prix, as Verstappen crushed both Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, and brought home the win for Red Bull in their home race.
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Martin Brundle feels Mercedes have become rigid in their ways
On the Sky Sports page, Brundle wrote, “Mercedes have been so dominant throughout the seven-year hybrid power unit era that they haven’t needed to absolutely stress the details in order to catch up and have a chance to win races.
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Formula One F1 – Steiermark Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria – June 27, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in action during the race REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
“They were mostly racing themselves and so they could leave a margin on pit stops, strategy, tyre choice, and suchlike.
I’m not saying they were cruising, far from it, and they have had Ferrari and Red Bull on their tails and even ahead of them periodically. But suddenly they are the team playing catch up and they look a touch ragged here and there in terms of leaving nothing on the table through an entire F1 event,” he concluded.
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Can the Silver Arrows find their mojo for round two in Austria?
The Brackley-based squad aren’t used to tasting defeat and they have now gotten four losses in a row, all at the hands of Red Bull. Their fall drop in performance has seen them lose the lead in the title, and the Raging Bulls have taken over the top spot in the standings.
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Formula One F1 – Steiermark Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Styria, Austria – June 26, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during practice REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
The team failed to make an impact on the Red Bull this past weekend in Austria, Verstappen breezed past them and claim another win under his belt this season. Now in a week’s time, Mercedes get a second opportunity at the same venue to make things right.
Mercedes just have 212 points compared to Red Bull’s 252, creating a forty-point gap between the two rivals. The team know full well they need to pick up their pace if they want any hope of claiming the title this season.
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