The past decade saw two F1 teams in Red Bull and Mercedes emerge the strongest. While the former dominated the early years of the 2010s, the German manufacturer’s team took over in the second half of the same period.

Such has been their work ethic and determination over the years that they will continue to lock horns in 2021 as the fiercest title contenders. Mercedes, in particular, starts off as the favorites for the championship, as they have done for some time now.

However, Mercedes F1 presenter Justin believes that had the team perfected one weakness, the 2013 F1 season could have turned out quite differently for them.

Mercedes suffered major tire issues in 2013, says Justin

Speaking in the video, he stated, “During the season we managed to achieve eight pole positions. But one of the problems was the tires. This car just ate through them.”

“And to give you some sort of an idea of just how bad it was, we qualified P1 and P2 in Spain and by the end of the first stint, we were P9 and P10.”

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It became a common narrative for the Silver Arrows that season, with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton doing so well to qualify the car upfront in the grid. However, come race time, the tire degradation saw them slip down the order and face inconsistency in results.

“We reckon that if we didn’t have the tire issues that season, we could have given Red Bull a run for their money. And it’s also something that was a weakness that we’ve now turned into a strength,” Justin added.

The team’s success coincided with the turbo hybrid engines introduction

Having finished runner-up to Red Bull in 2013, their efforts and dedication towards the ultimate goal increased multifold. Mercedes rectified most of their mistakes from the early years of their inception whilst also perfecting the turbo hybrid power units’ combination.

Since then, they have gone on to win all titles on offer, with the other teams, including Red Bull, left playing catch-up. The reliability of their machinery has also soared in recent times, making it less prone to mechanical failures and retirements.

Therefore, the onus is now on the rest of the grid to find solutions and counter the massive challenge that is Mercedes. If that does not happen, we could well see them breeze past opponents in races to continue adding to their titles’ tally.

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