Mercedes in ‘no man’s land’ but W13 car has ‘a lot more potential’ if porpoising issues can be solved

Mercedes have struggled with their porpoising issues in the opening two races

Mercedes have struggled for pace so far this season (Getty Images)

Mercedes are currently in ‘no man’s land’ but have a ‘lot more potential’ to unlock in their new car, according to ex-Formula 1 driver Anthony Davidson.

The reigning constructors champions have been unable to get to grips with their porpoising issues in the first two races of the season - with Lewis Hamilton finishing third and 10th and George Russell managing fourth and fifth.

They are playing catch-up compared to Ferrari and Red Bull - who seem to have adjusted to the new 2022 regulations much swifter than Mercedes.

But Davidson, who is now a simulator driver for the Silver Arrows, has faith that they will find the solutions.

Speaking to Speedweek.com, he said: “I could already see in Bahrain – this car does not lie at all as I had felt it in the race simulator. That’s when alarm bells went off for me. Mercedes’ biggest problem is that they can’t drive with the ground clearance they want. Other teams, however, can.

“I see Red Bull Racing’s race car scraping the ground with sparks flying, so I really get the impression that they couldn’t put the car lower. But their car doesn’t seem to suffer from porpoising.

“Mercedes would love to run with a floor gap like Red Bull Racing, but as soon as they do that, the car starts to bounce more, and that’s not only uncomfortable for the driver and for the material, it also costs time.

“I see this not only on the straights, but also in fast corners. The car then looks like a wild horse. I think there’s a lot more potential in the Mercedes, it’s just not unlockable because of this phenomenon.

“They are in no man’s land at the moment. They are not a real challenger to the top two teams, but they have more speed than the midfield competitors. I assume that Mercedes will get to the bottom of the problem, but I also believe that it will not happen overnight.”

The Australian Grand Prix is this weekend as F1 returns to Melbourne for the first time in three years.