Mercedes relishing challenge to dethrone Max Verstappen and Red Bull in 2023

Mercedes technical director James Allison has stated that he is relishing the challenge to dethrone Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen this year.

The Silver Arrows recently reshuffled their technical team, with Allison becoming the team's technical director and Mike Elliott taking up the mantle as the chief technical officer.

In 2021, Elliott replaced Allison as technical director when the latter moved into the newly-created chief technical officer role.

In an interview on the F1 Nation podcast, Allison revealed that the role swap was initiated after Elliott concluded that he was not adequately suited to the technical director role. He also stated that he is focused on improving the W14, before turning his sights to getting the better of Red Bull and Verstappen.

“I’m trying not to think really in those terms. Just concentrating on what are the areas of opportunity on the car. How quickly can we fill those opportunities with hardware or different approaches, with the expectation that that will improve our chances at any given weekend?”

He added:

“The sooner we can do that, and on the steepest slope possible, the better our chances will be in any given weekend and up against any given team and in the championship. But we’re completely realistic about the significant performance of the Red Bull and particularly Max. They’re going to be extremely worthy opposition to hunt down and in due course overtake.”

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“Up to my neck in it” - James Allison on returning to technical director role at Mercedes

In the same podcast episode, James Allison stated that he is excited to be bogged down by work on his return to the technical director role at Mercedes. He also stated that he is relishing the opportunity to turn the W14 into the quickest car on the grid.

Allison said:

“But it’s exciting and fun and interesting and a pleasure to be back up to my neck in it. It [the W14] is reliable, touch wood. That’s a definite strength. It’s got a very quick pair of punters pedalling it around. It’s better than most of the grid out there. But until it’s the quickest one it will always feel like a weak car to all of us.”

He added:

“It’s adequately kind to its tyres but not as good as some of the cars that we’ve made in the past. It’s got more downforce than most of the cars on the grid but not sufficient. Its handling characteristics leave a little to be desired, and need to be worked on for sure. But none of this stuff is revelatory. We’ve been talking about it most weekends and it’s part of what this team needs to address to get winning material back in our hands.”

Mercedes currently find themselves third in the 2023 drivers' standings, behind Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin.