‘It must be tense right now’: Martin Brundle evaluates Mercedes’ tough start to the F1 season

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were both downbeat after being way off the pace on Sunday in Bahrain

Martin Brundle believes the situation at Mercedes is visibly tense after a disappointing start to the new Formula 1 season in Bahrain.

Having produced a car similar in design to 2022’s troubled challenger – with a unique “zero-pod” approach – Toto Wolff admitted that he is set to ditch this breed of car after seeing the roughly second-a-lap deficit to Red Bull in Sunday’s grand prix.

Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in Bahrain, overtaken late on by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, and the seven-time world champion later stated that the team “did not listen” to his concerns after he recommended changes following last year’s winless season.

George Russell, who finished seventh, went further and insisted Red Bull should win every one of the 23 races in 2023, after Max Verstappen led home a comfortable one-two in Sakhir.

“It seems to me that Mercedes went the wrong way in 2022 and refuse to turn around,” Brundle said in his Sky Sports column.

“Even Lewis and Toto were openly expressing their disappointment at certain points of the weekend, and normally they only sing the praises of the teams at Brackley and Brixworth. It must be tense at the team right now, the quality is there, it just needs direction and oxygen to calm heads.

“They dogmatically turned the Mercedes into a late winning car last season but I don’t see or hear the appetite for another year like that.”

Brundle added that the loss of figures such as James Vowles – who moved to Williams in the off-season – will not have helped matters as Mercedes target a return to the top of the sport they dominated for eight years from 2014-2021.

Lewis Hamilton (right) and George Russell (left) only finished fifth and seventh respectively in Bahrain (Getty Images)

“They’ve also lost key people like Andy Cowell, James Vowles and others, with James Allison also currently focused elsewhere,” Brundle said. “The remaining talent pool is immense, but it hasn’t gelled yet.

“And before changing the philosophy and architecture of a Formula 1 car you need to understand what you want and where you’re heading, which is especially difficult in the cost-cap era 23 race season.”

The budget cap this year is set at £111m. Wolff added that Mercedes’ situation needs to be “more radical” than waiting for an expected upgrade at race six in Imola.

Race two of the new season takes place in Jeddah with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from 17-19 March.