"Mercedes want to be setting the benchmark": Damon Hill hopes to see 8x champions fighting for the championship again

Damon Hill hopes Mercedes succeed with their zero side-pod concept and are able to fight for the championship again. The Briton believes the team are either too confident about their car design or persistent about making it work.

Writing in a column in the Telegraph newspaper, the 1996 F1 champion said:

“If you copy teams, you are destined to always be behind them. I remember when I moved to Jordan they were always talking about the teams in front. When I was with Williams, by contrast, they were merely flattered by the imitators.

"It’s either a sign of confidence or stubbornness that Mercedes have stuck to their guns on their car philosophy over the winter. Alfa Romeo, for instance, appear to have moved to a different rear end, which more closely resembles Red Bull and Ferrari.

"Just as Williams and all leaders have done in the past, Mercedes want to be setting the benchmark. They believe their car, while difficult and inconsistent last year, still has huge potential. I hope we get to see it this season. The sport needs a proper fight at the front.”

Hill suggests that teams that copy the designs of other competitors often remain adrift off them, while and the original concept always surges up through the grid. If Mercedes are persisting with their unique design and improvising it, the former world champion feels that the team should aim to become the benchmark on the grid to make the concept work.

Despite the team’s claims that their car is complicated, the former Williams driver feels their concept still has a lot of untapped potential. Hoping to see the former champions improve in 2023, the driver turned TV pundit feels it is time there was a proper fight for the title with Mercedes in the mix.

Compared to Red Bull and Ferrari, the Silver Arrows squad did seem to have balance and performance issues in the preseason test.

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Martin Brundle feels team changes have made Mercedes under confident

Martin Brundle compared Mercedes to Liverpool FC, where changes in the team are not helping their confidence. The Sky Sports TV pundit believes that the Silver Arrows squad will need to turn around their performance issues within the season like Max Verstappen and Red Bull did in 2022.

The Milton Keynes team started the season with a double retirement and the reigning champions had two in their first three races, but were able to turn it around eventually and clinch both titles.

Speaking on the Sky Sports podcast after the Bahrain preseason test, Brundle said:

“It's odd isn't it right now, look at Liverpool for example. Little nuances, where you change the personnel, and there's maybe a lack of confidence. That's what I'm seeing at Mercedes at the moment. I thought last year they would just ace that car really quickly.

"When we saw it in the paddock a year ago, it was like: 'Nobody is going to see that for dust', which was wrong. Clearly they've still got to finesse it, and they need to do it early. Remember, last year, Verstappen didn't score any points until the second race, and still smashed the world championship.

"They'll need to get in there quickly, will Mercedes Benz, and sort it.”

The eight-time world champions have not been able to regain their winning mojo since 2021, despite George Russell clinching a victory in Brazil. With a complicated concept for their car, their preseason tests did not help them with their confidence either.

The Brackley team are not only going to have to accelerate their development curve to catch up with Red Bull and Ferrari, but will also be facing stiff competition from customer team Aston Martin. If F1 pundits and analysts are to be believed, the Silverstone squad has designed a good enough car to compete consistently with Red Bull and Ferrari.