In life, the path to success and even progress is not linear, it has its fair share of ups and downs. This stands true in the world of Formula 1 as well. The teams start the season off at one point but never finish there. There are always upgrades and changes to a car. However, despite the word upgrade suggesting progress, sometimes these “upgrades” can set a team back as well. Mercedes is facing exactly this frustrating scenario as their Belgian GP upgrade package set them back a little instead of pushing them forward. Because of this, Lewis Hamilton and Co. got a brutal reality check at Spa.

Mercedes 2022 misery is back as the W14’s porpoising is back. The W14 was bouncing on straights again during the race at Spa, which limited the W14’s capabilities and hampered the drivers’ race. Toto Wolff, while speaking to the media as quoted by Crash.com, explained how the bouncing turned into a vicious circle for Hamilton who, despite finishing P4, had an underwhelming performance.

“I’ve just seen the data and spoken to the drivers,” Wolff said. “The main limiting factor today and yesterday was the bouncing. The car is just bouncing literally every straight. Even Blanchimont was a corner that Lewis had to lift, which is an easy flat normally. You’re bouncing on the straight, you overheat the tyres on the braking. So that is a vicious cycle. It was the main limiting factor this weekend and frustrating to check out for the holidays like this.”

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This scenario is extremely worrying for Mercedes as they cannot afford to take a step back. Hamilton has developed a habit of dropping truth bombs on the team and he did so again after the race.

Helpless Lewis Hamilton is reduced to praying for a better outcome after the Belgian GP

The Brit has been vocal about his demands to change the car since 2022. When the team started the 2023 season with the same specs and same standard on the track, Hamilton began voicing his opinion more frequently and firmly. However, after the reality check in Belgium, Hamilton showcased his helpless side.

“I struggled at the beginning. Rear end is our biggest issue,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. “Then we had big bouncing this weekend, so we are back to the bouncing like we had last year. They [Mercedes] don’t know [what caused the bouncing] and to me it is a concern, but we will work through the data this week and try to figure out what we do before the next race. But I don’t really have much more answers for you. I know what I want and I am praying for it. I am just waiting for the day that we get it.”

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The summer break could not have come at a better time for Mercedes, as they will have plenty of time to review where they went wrong. Let’s hope, for the Brit’s sake, they figure out the wrong direction and get back on track right after the summer break.