Toto Wolff has put a timeframe on when Mercedes might be able to catch Red Bull at the front of the F1 field.
Red Bull have started this season in phenomenal form with them earning back-to-back one-twos in the first two races of the year, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively.
Indeed, right now it is looking as though the title fight for the Constructors’ championship will be between them and them alone, whilst their two drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez may be the only contenders for the Drivers’ crown in 2023.
So far, it’s been Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin that has come closest to getting involved in their fight with him earning two third place finishes, whilst Mercedes are once again having some difficulties with their car, as they did in 2022.
Already this season, Toto Wolff has said that the Silver Arrows are going to go down a different route with the W14’s design now – as much as they can within the cost cap rules – and it just remains to be seen what those changes can do for them in terms of reeling in the team from Milton Keynes.
Toto Wolff puts time frame on Mercedes catching Red Bull
Speaking back at the Saudi Arabian GP, Wolff suggested that it could take up to a year for Merc to be level with Red Bull in terms of pace:
“I think the lag is probably between six and 12 months, because that’s the time it really took for us to figure out what was actually happening with the [2022] car,” Wolff said when assessing the deficit between the two cars.
“That means we just need to double the development speed, a stronger development slope which the logic and rationale speaks for it, that we could have [it]. [Red Bull’s] gains are going to be incrementally smaller if their concept is mature.
“Aero-wise, wind tunnel time can help a bit but not hugely, and we’ve just got to get our act together. If we fundamentally understand where we need to put the car, then the steps are going to be large, but we need to be perfect.”
The F1 2023 pecking order
Of course, Red Bull are the team that Mercedes want to catch but the Silver Arrows need to establish themselves as the outright second-quickest team first and foremost.
Aston Martin currently look arguably the closest to Red Bull out on track at the moment, which is some effort from the Silverstone-based team, whilst Ferrari are also in the mix and will look to go better this weekend in Australia than they did last time out in Saudi.
All three have work to do, though, with Red Bull looking mighty in these early stages of 2023.
