The tenement that affects Mercedes before a new Formula 1 date: cross between Hamilton and Wolff

Formula

this weekend , which could be key to

' aspirations

in 2023. This statement may be unusual, considering that the event in Jeddah will only be the second of the new championship;

but the German team was left in flames after the poor performance of its brand new

in the first race, in Bahrain.

And, although the team came out to calm the waters by ensuring that they are united and that they are working "urgently and calmly" to develop a recovery plan;

in the last week, some statements by

and

gave indications that the weather is not the best.

After eight seasons of dominance -with seven drivers' titles, six for Hamilton and one for

, and eight for constructors- and after the technical renewal introduced by the

​​for 2022;

Mercedes suffered throughout last year with a car that had too many problems, especially with porpoising

that bounce caused by ground effect;

and saw

and

 take the reign from him.

With a new design, the team expected to start this season with other results, but in Sakhir, they added another disappointment.

Hamilton was fifth, behind the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, of

's

- a car with which the W14 shares the power unit, gearbox and rear suspension - and

's

.

, meanwhile, was also overtaken by the other Aston Martin, with

at the wheel, and finished seventh. 

Hamilton's reaction was not long in coming.

"Last year, there were things that I told them that were wrong, I told them about the problems the car had, and they didn't listen to me," said the seven-time champion in an interview with the BBC after the test in

.

"I've driven a lot of single-seaters in my life, so I know what a car needs and what it doesn't need. And I think it's about responsibility. To take it on and say, 'Yeah, you know what? We didn't listen to you

' where we used to be and we have to keep working. I knew from the moment I first got into the W14 that it would be a big challenge. We have to look at the balance of the car in the corners, we have to see and study all our weak points, we have to come together and that's what we're doing right now," he added.

Hamilton's words seemed to indicate that there was some clash of opinions within the team.

Wolff, Executive Director of Mercedes, was in charge of clarifying that this was not the case.

"Lewis is an integral part of the team, he's trying to lift it up and we're all united. I don't think that's going to change just because we've had a really bad start to the season. We've got to push everyone in the same direction, the drivers, the engineers, everyone," said the Austrian.

However, hours before, he himself had been very pessimistic about Mercedes' chances of fighting for the top positions in this championship.

"We could throw our car away. There is a team that is far ahead of the rest and is playing with its rivals, they don't even have degradation," Wolff had analyzed, hotly, shortly after the Bahrain race.

"I think Red Bull is going to win every race this season. We're going to try to fight for the World Cup, but this year it's not going to be the case."

"We can change the concept, but putting sidepods on the car is not going to fix the problems, it all depends on the airflow. Our car is agile, but not fast. Last year, it was improving and, at the end of the season, we won a career. For this reason we continue with this concept. Now, we start a new tournament and we see that, suddenly, nothing works", he assured, pessimistic.

"Bahrain hurt us"

On the weekend, the Austrian team published a letter to its fans, in which it assured that it shared the pain of its followers due to the bad moment and affirmed that all the members of the team were aware of how much they will have to work to reverse it.

"To all our fans," the text began.

"Bahrain hurt. It has hurt each one of us, who go into each season determined to fight for the world championships. It hurts the team as a whole, after having invested so much work in a car that has not lived up to our expectations. And we know it hurt you too. Your passion and support are so important to keep us going."

"The situation we are facing now is not what any of us wanted, but it is what we have. That is the reality," he continued, before listing what will be done about it.

"First of all, we will not panic or react rashly," he said, noting that instead of looking for a "scapegoat", they will try to see "failure as an opportunity" to improve.

"We are working urgently and calmly to develop our recovery plan, focusing on what needs to happen in the short, medium and long term to win. We already have projects underway for the next races and more will come. But it will not be the work of one moment; there are no silver bullets in F1."

“Secondly, we will hold our heads high and take this journey one step at a time, together. We are Mercedes. We know the standards we aspire to, and no one flinchs when we look at the mountain we must climb. It won't be easy, but what courage? has it easy?", he continued.

And finally, he called on fans to push them forward, either with criticism or words of support, as long as they are done correctly.

"We are already working hard to turn the tide for this 2023 season. The recovery started immediately after the race, and everyone has a role to play. Are you ready to join us in the fight? If so, let's do it." , the statement concluded.

With the Bahrain results, Mercedes was third in the constructors' championship with 16 points, behind Red Bull (43) and Aston Martin (16).

Far from the glory years to which it became accustomed, the German team lives a complicated present.

But the good news for Hamilton and company is that the 2023 championship is just beginning and the team has time to turn this tough moment around. 

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