Mercedes not planning upgrades for Australian GP while Sky Sports F1's Damon Hill warns that you can never write off Lewis Hamilton for title; Watch this weekend's Australian GP all live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday's race at 6am
Friday 8 April 2022 06:02, UK
Mercedes say there is no "magic fix" for their underperforming W13 car for this weekend's Australian GP, as F1's world champions set their focus on maximising points rather than previously expected upgrades.
The Silver Arrows, big favourites for 2022 given their dominance over the last eight seasons, have endured a difficult start, slipping well behind Ferrari and Red Bull as the grid's third-fastest team after two races.
They were expected to bring the first upgrades to their W13 car for round three in Melbourne this weekend - with a solution to the violent 'porpoising' crucial - but it now looks like Mercedes will be waiting.
The European season officially starts in Imola in two weeks' time before the maiden Miami GP.
"There won't be a magic fix for the next race weekend, but we're pushing to steadily bring gains over the upcoming races, to hopefully move us closer to the front of the pack." said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
"Until then, we need to maximise each opportunity and make the most of the package we have."
While second in the standings, Mercedes are 40 points behind Ferrari already and they are only ahead of Red Bull because of their rivals' double DNF in the opener, which gave Lewis Hamilton an unexpected podium.
"We are in a learning race and the first two weekends have shown we still have plenty to learn," added Wolff.
"At the moment, our track performance is not meeting our own expectations, but everyone at Brackley and Brixworth is focused on understanding the problems and finding the right solutions.
"There are various challenges ahead of us, but that's something we relish and is when a team really shows its true spirit.
"Lewis and George [Russell] are making an important contribution to the overall effort, providing feedback, spending time in the simulator and working together to help push us forward.
"Now we head back to Melbourne for the first time since 2020 and will be racing in Australia for the first time in three years - that's too long for a city and country that are so passionate about F1. We're looking forward to seeing the fans and the new track layout which promises more overtaking opportunities and faster lap times."
Despite the troubling start, Sky Sports F1's Damon Hill still believes Hamilton can claim an historic eighth championship this season.
Hamilton, who has claimed all but two of the sport's drivers' titles since 2014, is currently fifth after two rounds and scored only a single point in Saudi Arabia after qualifying down in 16th.
But Hill believes Mercedes can unlock the potential of their car, and Hamilton will be ready to capitalise.
Asked if Hamilton can win the title on Sky Sports News, Hill said: "I don't see why not.
"I think he's a long shot, but this is going to be a long old battle. We will not remember the first few races of the season by the time we get to halfway through. It's going to be a slog with 23 races.
"If you've got a battle at the front and you haven't got a dominant team, then it's unlikely they will get that far ahead. It's highly likely that Mercedes could get in the mix."
The 1996 world champion said that if Hamilton is frustrated "he's showing very little signs of that" and that "he's got a calmness and maturity about him now which is impressive to see".
Hill then added of Mercedes: "They've got something wrong and the hope is that if they find a fix for that, they will find a big gain in performance.
"The hope is that they haven't made a mistake in a fundamental design area. Their data says their design should be good, they just can't tap into it because of this porpoising, this bouncing."
