"Mercedes have more than one obstacle" - Red Bull advisor unsure of German team's prospects this season

Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko is not sure whether Mercedes will be able to bounce back into contention this season.

The German team got off to a poor start to the 2023 season, as Lewis Hamilton finished P5 at the season-opening Bahrain GP, while his teammate George Russell was P7. After the race, the mood was quite downbeat, with team boss Toto Wolff terming the first race of the season as the worst of his career.

Russell and the Mercedes boss have also admitted that Red Bull could win all the races this season. The situation has seemingly exacerbated, as reports have revealed that the team has given an ultimatum to technical director Mike Elliot to bring the car back to its desired level of competitiveness.

When asked about the German team's prospects this season and if they can recover, Marko was a bit sceptical, admitting that they have more than one obstacle to surmount. The Red Bull adviser said:

"Mercedes have more than one obstacle, that's clear. They have not made any progress compared to last season. If you look at the gaps, it was even a step backwards. They seem to have lost their way somewhere. I am curious to see what they will do now.

"Because of the cost cap, it's such a problem to develop the car routinely. How do you put together a completely new car? Unless they make the golden shot, which I wouldn't assume after recent experiences."

---

Mercedes look like a team in crisis

The German team are seemingly in crisis at the moment. Not only is the car not up to the mark, but the fact that the team is hinting at starting with a clean slate, which is concerning. Something like that, during the cost cap era, is a major handicap.

Moreover, comments made by Wolff, Russell and Hamilton are not uplifting in any way. On the contrary, there's almost a hint of apportioning blame on the design team.

The team needs to get together and find a way forward because if that doesn't happen, the 2023 season could be a long one. Mercedes are the most successful team in the last decade, so they need to get together and chart out a course to be competitive once again.