Mercedes to ‘wake up soon’ according to Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur

Fred Vasseur had encouraging words for Mercedes as he feels that it is tough to judge the team's situation right after a single race. He believes that the team will perform much better in the upcoming races, keeping his focus on Jeddah, which, in his words, is a 'different tarmac.'

Mercedes had a relatively tough time in contrast to expectations during the first race weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit. The W14 was considered a very competitive car, but it was hardly able to get itself ahead of the top performers. It was also outperformed by Aston Martin.

While many seem to have lost hope in the team, Fred Vassuer, Ferrari's team principal, is hopeful of their revival. Motorsport quoted him saying:

"It's race one and we don't have to do any conclusion. I think that Mercedes will wake up soon. We don't know what will happen next week."

Vasseur will have his eyes on the team at the Saudi Arabian GP to note any changes in the performance:

"The next race will be a different story in Jeddah with a different tarmac. So let's see in Jeddah if we have a better picture."

The team is said to be majorly dependent upon their upgrade package to perform better throughout the length of the season. At the same time, though, it is hard to say if they will develop enough to be a title contender.

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Red Bull optimistic for a Mercedes recovery along with Vasseur

The Ferrari team boss isn't the only one who holds a positive view of Mercedes' development this season. Red Bull's team advisor, Dr. Helmut Marko, echoed Fred Vasseur's statements when asked if the team's rival would be Aston Martin given their performance in Bahrain.

He believes that it is hard to come to a conclusion right after a single race into the season. He pointed out that there will be much more competition with further development in the cars, bringing in light for the Brackley-based outfit.

"After one race, it's difficult to say. There are still many competitors left. I also believe that Mercedes will become better throughout the season."

Adding onto this, RB's team principal, Christian Horner, too had a somewhat similar view on the performance of the team. He feels that the cars are still 'immature' owing to the fact that no development has been made so far.

"I've been around long enough to see things change so quickly. I think these cars are still relatively immature and, as teams develop and upgrades come, things will change."

Regardless, many believe that it is hard for the team to score in a championship this season with the current car. Although Lewis Hamilton was very positive about a title fight in 2023, it seems out of the grasp for him. There are further upgrades that await but a title fight may not be one of those things until the 2024 season.