Red Bull in a 'very favorable position' even in 2023 F1 season, says Mercedes' chief

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that Red Bull will be the favorites to win the title in 2023 as well. The Austrian executive downplayed his team's chances of success next year, but was optimistic about improvements in the W14.

In an interview with Channel 4, Wolff was critical of his team's interpretation of the new regulations. He said:

"Obviously, we have missed a lot of development time to find out about bouncing and porposing and all these things. So it's clear that Red Bull in a very favorable position, not only for this year, but also for the start of next year. But having said that, if we were to continue our understanding and development of the car, I think we can catch up quickly."

Wolff further reflected on Mercedes' bad form for the first time in almost a decade, and said:

"We've talked about over the last few years every series ends one day, there is no team [in any sport] that is winning every single championship over its lifetime. And that has happened. It has happened because we got the physics wrong."

He continued:

"There's not nothing mystical about it, suddenly, we have great people, equipment infrastructure, financial resource. What we got wrong was just how the car works, but that gives us confidence to sort it out."

Mercedes struggled to sort out their porpoising issues in the first half of the season. The team, however, have now discovered a fundamental problem in their W13 that is holding them back from winning.

While most of the teams worked on their fundamental issues in the first half, the Silver Arrows are only catching on now. In Hindsight, the outfit is almost six months behind in terms of development when compared to the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull.

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Mercedes prepare for new updates at Austin to learn more about 2023

Mercedes Technical Director Mike Elliott has informed that the W13 will don new updates in order to give a better understanding of the W14. After a disappointing season, the Brackley-based outfit have chosen to start focusing on next year's car.

Elliott revealed that this step will be the team's conclusion in the car's aero development and said:

“It's (Austin) our final step of aero development, and that will hopefully give us a bit more performance, but importantly with every step, we are learning more and more, and that learning we can carry into next year. Also, there is a few bits where we have taken some weight out of components that will hopefully get the car closer to the weight limit."

Mercedes have been very inconsistent with their performances this year. The team has rarely been at the front, and have faced a winless season so far. With only the third fastest car, they've failed to put on a dominant display for the first time in years.