For a team that won the most consecutive constructors championships in the history of Formula 1, Mercedes failed miserably to adapt to the 2022 regulation change despite finishing 3rd and 2nd in the standings in the last 2 years by their standards. They were the only team to bring the radical zero-pod concept in 2022, while also being one of the teams that struggled the most with porpoising. With Red Bull looking ominous to dominate the remaining 2 years of the current regulations, Toto Wolff and the entire Mercedes camp are being urged to pick up the slack and take the fight to the Bulls.

The downfall began when Mercedes trusted virtual world simulation figures ahead of 2022 that didn’t translate to real-world performance. Despite Lewis Hamilton‘s constant warnings to change the design concept by the end of 2022, Mercedes eventually stuck with the zero-pod design for the W14 in 2023 and it turned out to be their biggest mistake.

Mika Hakkinen says Mercedes has to find the will to win again

Despite promoting a no-blame culture within the team, the departure of technical director, Mike Elliott, made it clear that the Brackley-based squad had lost faith in the technical leadership of the team. James Allison was brought back immediately to help the team be successful again. According to a recent report from Formula Passion, 2-time F1 world champion, Mika Hakkinen, called out Mercedes to find their way back to winning ways,

Hakkinen said, “After a decade of success, the last two seasons have left their mark on managers and employees. Now they have to be angry and develop that unconditional will to win again. The team needs to rediscover that old understanding that is currently missing.”

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With the arrival of James Allison, who was responsible for so much of Mercedes’ success in the turbo-hybrid era, the team is already starting to show signs of progress. During the closing stages of the 2023 season, Lewis Hamilton quite literally said that the team has found its north star, which was missing for the past 2 seasons.

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However, Toto Wolff is the kind of person who doesn’t need a voice from the outside to suggest that things have gone horribly wrong for Mercedes.

Wolff was already fed up with the team’s failure by the end of the 2023 season

The W13 aimed at creating downforce without the classical undercut, opting for less bulky side pods to expose a larger floor area. Mercedes relied on the pressure difference between upper bodywork and the underfloor, but it was a failed concept. However, Mercedes stuck with the concept for 2023, believing the redesigned rear suspension and gearbox could address the issues. With the benefit of hindsight, we all know how it turned out.

Frustrated with the failure of the technical team to address the design flaws, Toto Wolff lashed out at the team after qualifying at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. According to a Reuters report, Toto Wolff told Sky Sports, “It just didn’t come together. Probably that’s what was in the car but expectations were higher. I am fed up with having explanations why it didn’t go well. We were good in the hot, we weren’t in the cold. Previous days it has been the other way around. I’m happy that this was the last qualifying of the season and we’re going to come with a new car [in 2024].”

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Whether Mercedes has fixed the airflow issues at high speed or not, only time will tell. In the meantime, we are all looking forward to the pre-season test that will give us a clue as to where the team stands.