Mercedes face early scare as ‘engine problems’ occur at the shakedown post 2023 car launch

Mercedes could be facing problems even before the season starts, with reports suggesting the W14 had engine trouble just after the launch on February 15.

Mercedes officially revealed the W14 in a presentation on Wednesday and tested the car in Silverstone on the same day. Reports suggest the new car had engine problems, and the unit was sent back to the factory for repair. The engine had ignition and misfiring issues.

After an underwhelming 2022 in which the German manufacturer managed to win only one race, the team and fans were hoping for a better 2023 season. But recent reports suggest the team will need to work on their challenger quickly to have a decent season. Fans are worried that the team may have a repeat of last year.

Mercedes have dominated the sport in the last decade, winning eight consecutive Constructors' World Championships from 2014 to 2021. Fans had high hopes for the 2022 season with Lewis Hamilton on the verge of becoming an eight-time world champion.

Despite the expectations, the Silver Arrows failed to provide Hamilton with a competitive car. The W13 suffered from porpoising and failed to compete against the stronger and faster Ferrari F1-75 and Red Bull RB-18.

Mercedes haven't forgotten how to build a fast car, according to George Russell

Mercedes struggled with the W13 throughout the 2022 season, with trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin even stating that it was "bordering on dangerous" at some circuits. Mercedes had to first resolve the porpoising issue before they could develop the car further, which led to a difficult first half of the season.

However, the team improved greatly in the second half of the championship, with Shovlin crediting the drivers for their efforts in working together and sharing the workload.

George Russell recently expressed his excitement for the 2023 season and his belief that the team will be in a much stronger position from the start of the race, saying:

"They haven’t forgotten how to build a fast race car. We just got it wrong. We got the philosophy wrong. We went down a route which turned out to be the wrong route. Sometimes it takes you a long time to dig yourself out of that hole. Now I feel we’ve dug ourselves out of that hole and we’re building on top of that."

The 24-year-old also acknowledged that the team is currently a step behind Red Bull and Ferrari, but is confident that they will be able to keep up. Russell added:

"We are a step behind Red Bull and Ferrari and we’ve got a lot of catching up to do – but we’re definitely going to be in a much stronger position from race one."