Mercedes set to bring ‘small developments’ to W14 in 2023 Saudi Arabian GP

Mercedes are set to bring small updates to their W14 car ahead of this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

At the season-opening Bahrain GP, Mercedes looked like they did not fully overcome their troubles from last year as they could only manage fifth (Lewis Hamilton) and seventh (George Russell) at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Team principal Toto Wolff recently admitted that while the team met the "high targets" it had during development, the visible flaws in the car have led them to look into other concepts now.

Wolff, who also has a 33% stake in the team, believes that the planned changes for Jeddah will move the team "in the right direction." He said:

"This weekend in Saudi Arabia we will learn more about W14, its characteristics and its limitations. It provides a very different test to Bahrain, and it will be interesting to see how the car reacts."

He added:

"We are bringing some small developments to the car: they won't be game changers, but they can start moving us in the right direction. We'll be pushing as hard as we can to create opportunities, and hopefully will give us a better account of ourselves than in Bahrain.

Wilff has confirmed that they have had "open and honest discussions" at Mercedes as the team works towards getting better, both in the short and long term. He said:

"Since Bahrain, we have had open and honest discussions from which we started to plan our fight back. In the short term, leaving no stone unturned in the search for performance. In the longer term, focusing our development to determine how we get to the front. I've already felt the energy and determination in the factory and know that will continue moving forward."

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Lewis Hamilton confirms his future with Mercedes, and denies talk of leaving the team due to performance issues

Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that his contract renewal with Mercedes doesn't depend on how the team performs in the 2023 Formula 1 season.

It has been rumored that Hamilton, who is currently in the final year of his contract, might part ways with the Silver Arrows if the team fails to fix the issues with the car.

However, the seven-time F1 champion dismissed such talk, saying:

“It’s ultimately people creating rumours without facts. I have been [supported by] Mercedes since I was 13. Having the difficult year we had last year, [I’m] still here, and whether or not we have a difficult year this year, I’ll still be here.”