Mercedes can get 'back in championship fight' in boost to Lewis Hamilton's hopes
Despite struggling to contest for the top places in the first two races this season, Mike Elliott is upbeat regarding Mercedes' ability to compete going forward.
The Silver Arrows' technical director boasts more than two decades of experience working as an aerodynamicist in Formula 1 and moved to Mercedes shortly before Lewis Hamilton's reign of dominance. Both Hamilton and team-mate George Russell have lacked the pace necessary to rein in Red Bull in the first two races of 2023, but Elliott believes the necessary changes are being made to improve their fortunes.
"We are starting to see some of the development come through already that is going to get us back into this championship fight," he said, per Sky Sports F1. "And all we can do is just keep pushing - I've been really pleased to see the attitude in the team."
Mercedes are yet to record a podium finish so far this season, with Hamilton sealing back-to-back fifth-place finishes at Sakhir and Jeddah. Russell came seventh in the season-opener in Bahrain before improving to fourth in Saudi Arabia, where Fernando Alonso was promoted again to third after having a penalty overturned.
It's a cause for concern that Alonso's employers, Aston Martin, are getting what many might consider superior results out of their cars despite using Mercedes engines. Melbourne will be the next opportunity for the Silver Arrows to make strides, though there won't be any major changes expected until the European leg of the calendar get underway in May.
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Russell reacted to the Bahrain GP result by suggesting rivals Red Bull 'should win every race' between now and the end of the season. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have each came out on the winning side of a one-two finish thus far and look substantially quicker than the rest of the field, but Elliott remains full of hope.
Mercedes stars Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have failed to keep up with Red Bull this season (AFP via Getty Images)Do you think Lewis Hamilton will win an F1 race in 2023? Let us know in the comments section.
"Firstly, our main aim at the moment is to continue learning," he added ahead of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix. "We've only had two races so far; it's really difficult to build trends from that.
"In terms of the actual characteristics of the circuit, Australia is probably front-limited and more like Jeddah than Bahrain. So, let's hope that we can find another small step forward, get a bit more competitive, find the learning that is going to help us move forward in the long-term."
Mercedes technical director Mike Elliott joined the Silver Arrows in 2012 (Getty Images)To his credit, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner isn't counting his chickens as he seeks a second straight constructors' title, while Verstappen aims for his third consecutive drivers' championship. The Milton Keynes boss recently told Sky News he was sure Mercedes will 'sort their issues out' in a bid to return to the top.
That being said, similar comments were made last season en route to Verstappen clinching one of the most dominant title wins in recent memory. The gap between them and the rest of the grid is significant for the time being, with more than just a few tweaks required to put Mercedes back on par with F1's current kingpins.
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