Damon Hill charts what would be the target for Mercedes by the end of the 2023 F1 season

Former F1 driver turned pundit Damon Hill recently stated what would be the aim for Mercedes at the end of the 2023 F1 season.

After a great performance in the Spanish GP, partially because of the new upgrade package, the Silver Arrows have taken a major step forward. Hence, they will now be aiming to stay as close to Red Bull as possible and even pose a threat whenever the reigning world champions stumble at some race weekends.

Hill initially stated that challenging Red Bull would be extremely difficult for Mercedes. But he was quick to add that if Mercedes manage to threaten the world champions by the end of this season, that will be considered a win.

"I think, to overhaul Red Bull before the end of the season, is going to be very difficult. I think if they manage to firmly establish themselves as the threat going into 24, by the end of the season, then they would have considered that a victory," he said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

Mercedes yet again started the season on the back foot. Ever since the 2022 regulation changes, they have not been able to develop a strong car for fighting at the front of the grid. Hence, the new path that Mercedes has chosen for the remainder of this season will be crucial for the team.

Mercedes will either successfully become the second fastest team, beating their customers Aston Martin, or they will encounter another setback. Only time will tell how the Silver Arrows' journey will pan out in the 2023 F1 season.

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Mercedes driver George Russell determined to close the gap with Red Bull and Max Verstappen

George Russell assessed the race weekend in Barcelona and how the upgrades brought by Mercedes have helped him and Lewis Hamilton push forward.

Both Russell and Hamilton finished on the podium in the Spanish GP. They looked quite strong in the race, with less tire degradation and a better race pace.

“We’ve always been strong in Barcelona but the upgrades worked as expected, which is really promising to see, and thanks a huge amount to everybody who put so much effort into this because it’s truly paying off," Russell was quoted as saying by F1.com.

"I was very disappointed last night with the qualifying result but it’s proof that you just need to keep on believing and today was a new day, new opportunities, went out there, ticked all the boxes, the car was fast, good overtakes and really enjoyable race,” he added.

Russell continued:

“I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made but at the same time we’ve got work to do, our sights are set on victory and we’ve got work to do to catch Max [Verstappen]."

Although Red Bull and Max Verstappen are too far ahead in the championship race, George Russell feels that Mercedes will be able to close the gap if the future upgrades are as good as its latest one.