What does a comeback look like? If you want to know the answer, look at the Mercedes F1 team. Their start to the ongoing ‘silly’ season was underwhelming. Especially for Lewis Hamilton, things weren’t working out. And questions began to pop into the fans’ minds. Is it over for Hamilton? Is Mercedes done? However, fighting against all odds, the Silver Arrows had their resurgence in Montreal. Their progress and success have caught a lot of attention. Rival teams and their bosses are at the same table analyzing this uprising. Surprisingly, even Helmut Marko agrees with the others.

It’s been a month since Red Bull saw their drivers on the top step of the podium. Their crisis is noticeable. While Max Verstappen despite his struggles is delivering, Sergio Perez’s performance has seen a massive regression. Ferrari is no better. Monaco was their last win, and since then both their drivers have faced trouble with the upgrades. Meanwhile, McLaren and Mercedes are catching up faster than they’d expected. This is concerning for both Helmut Marko and Fred Vasseur.

Helmut Marko shares Fred Vasseur’s sentiments as Mercedes moves ahead with great power

Red Bull is experiencing a troublesome season. Interna, conflicts, and on-track debacles aren’t leaving their side. Meanwhile, the upgrades in the RB20 are not working the way the team would’ve wanted. This is leaving the advisor Dr. Helmut Marko puzzled. His concerns are genuine, as McLaren and Mercedes’ upgrades are working perfectly. Red Bull, on the other hand, is capped and the latest updates brought to Hungary have been sent back to Zandvoort. The advisor wonders if they are on the right path.

If this downfall persists, this season will turn out to be disappointing for the Austrian side. Moreover, taking notes from Mercedes Helmut Marko is trying to understand their progress. Marko said: “This weekend we saw that Mercedes was nowhere on Friday, they made some adjustments and suddenly the car was working.” Adding, “We need to make sure that in one weekend we find the right set-up and therefore the balance more quickly than we do now so that Max can push without the tires getting too hot.” In the last few races, Mercedes, despite having an average Qualifier outperformed the top teams in the race. But the scenario for Red Bull has been the exact opposite.

Max Verstappen has been complaining about the car’s balance, oversteering and understeering issues, and tire problems. Surprisingly his team has failed to work on the areas. The Dutchman last won in Spain, and since then his dry spell has continued. Meanwhile, Ferrari has been experiencing similar instances in the races. With Monaco GP being their victory, the team has considerably fallen back. Analyzing Mercedes’ progress Fred Vasseur has also expressed his opinions.

Ferrari boss sheds light on Mercedes’ improvement in Spa-Francorchamps, following their baffling Qualifier

Ferrari team principal, Fred Vasseur highlighted the importance of the Belgian GP’s execution. As demonstrated by Mercedes’ ability to reverse the set-up compared to Friday, Vasseur said: “If you can fix a small issue or make small steps forward with the set-up it makes a huge difference in terms of the standings. That’s probably the positive aspect of the championship today, with 6 drivers within 10 seconds at the end of the race.”

While Mercedes continues to catch up with Ferrari for the 3rd spot in Constructors’ standing, a big challenge lies ahead of the Prancing Horse. They must retrieve themselves after the summer break. Only the right upgrades and strategies can change the Red Squad’s picture. Meanwhile, Leclerc’s P3 inheritance at the Belgian GP has given a big boost to the team. But that won’t be enough. More wins and podiums are needed to come back as title contenders. Can Fred Vasseur do that? A question that waits for some answers.

With Dr. Helmut Marko and Fred Vasseur standing on the same page about Mercedes’ progress, their teams’ recent dip is a matter of concern. Both Red Bull and Ferrari need to chalk out better places to dethrone McLaren and Mercedes if they want to continue as title contenders. The stress is intense and the summer break will give the teams a respite to refresh themselves, and the comebacks need to be blockbuster.