The rollercoaster ride that is the 2023 F1 season has thrown another gut-wrenching curveball to Mercedes’ fans. Toto Wolff’s recent promises of upgrades and improvements at the Belgian Grand Prix, following a less-than-stellar performance at Silverstone, have raised more eyebrows than hopes. This comes amid growing concerns over Mercedes’ performance, particularly when compared to the dominant Red Bull and the impressively upgraded McLaren.
“Our car’s performance at Silverstone wasn’t where we expected it to be, and I don’t think it will be better in Hungary,” said Toto Wolff. This statement, coupled with the promise of “100-millisecond upgrades” for the race in Spa, has stirred up a tempest among the fans. They fear that Wolff’s ‘hopeful’ outlook is only a smokescreen to obscure the team’s ongoing problems.
#F1: Toto Wolff: “Hungary is completely different, twisty. Let’s see how we perform there. Overall, I don’t think it will be as good as here.”
“Then we have Spa, where we’ll have some more upgrades. I believe these 100-millisecond upgrades are important in the fight.”
— deni (@fiagirly) July 11, 2023
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Despite Lewis Hamilton’s commendable efforts on the track, the fans are losing patience. Mercedes, once a dominant force in Formula 1, is currently grappling with underperformance and a disappointing run in recent races. Wolff’s comments on the potential dip in performance in Hungary and promises of upgrades in Belgium are seen by many as mere hollow words. While Wolff remains hopeful, the fans are not ready to buy into these assurances given the current state of affairs at Mercedes. Instead, these promises seem like attempts to sweep the team’s concerning issues under the rug.
Fans Look Straight Through the Smoke Screen
Wolff’s revelations about the team’s unsuccessful attempts to replicate Red Bull’s sidepod design, a crucial factor contributing to the rivals’ substantial advantage and even McLaren now, and his faith in the floor and underside improvements rather than visible bodywork alterations, has been met with apprehension. His further declaration that Mercedes might have to switch full focus to its 2024 F1 car revamp, essentially writing off the rest of the current season, is a bitter pill to swallow. The fans, however, aren’t blinded by these tactical smoke screens.
Milliseconds what a joke
— Archie (@Amtj2003) July 11, 2023
There's not a single race this season that the team (Toto) called right they say we should be strong there but end up suffering then they say we should suffer there then end up competitive, it's safe to say no one knows this car really
— Louise#7 (@BooiLouise) July 11, 2023
100 milisecond 🤣🤣🤣🤣 what happened to major upgrades
— ASAD (@MAsadishere) July 12, 2023
Now, he's talking about millisecond. They said that they were seeing big gains with the B spec in the wind tunnel, now he's talking about milliseconds.
— Harlap Raintimer (@HarlapR) July 11, 2023
The simmering discontent among the fans seems poised to reach a boiling point.
The upgrade being a new racing stripe.
Seriously, it’s obvious they blew the budget on chasing zero-pod rather than listening to Lewis and pivoting to the RB concept.
Someone needs to be fired.
— Keen fan of reality 🇭🇺 (@fact_enthusiast) July 11, 2023
Fym it won't be as good as here 😭 we were trash in Silverstone
— Abbas Shah ⁴⁴ (@bluffydim) July 11, 2023
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What does he call an upgrade? A new side mirror pic.twitter.com/9MPUCBQsmh
— Blk Kafee (@KhaniQ) July 11, 2023
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Will Mercedes take its rightful place at the front, or will the series of disappointments continue?
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