Mercedes began the campaign with unprecedented dominance and holds an insurmountable advantage atop both championships, as title number six on the bounce beckons. Motorsport Week concludes its mid-season review with the gold-standard Silver Arrows.
High point: Monaco win after Lauda’s death was emotional
Low point: Humbling on home territory in Germany
Mercedes started both 2017 and 2018 facing a serious challenge from Ferrari and the results of pre-season testing indicated that its Maranello rival would be a formidable opponent once more. But by the time the Australian Grand Prix arrived Mercedes had stolen a march on its adversary. Part of that was down to the radically overhauled W10 that was introduced for the second pre-season test; Mercedes had a larger potential curve and only began to get a grip on its revised package during the dying stages of running in Barcelona. That was down to a decision on its developmental direction last autumn, with the first spec W10 in effect what the team had been working on up until that point. The new-for-test-two W10 marked a different direction – as opposed to a reaction to the first test results – and has been crucial to Mercedes’ success as it represented a shift in its philosophy, moving towards downforce and away from the sheer engine power that shaped the early years of the hybrid era. That approach has facilitated Mercedes in being quickest at circuits where overall downforce and/or aerodynamic efficiency has been favoured, most prominently its performances in Australia, Spain, Monaco, France and Britain. On pure pace alone the W10 was in a different postcode at several grands prix, underlining the strength of the chassis/power unit integration, not to mention the skill of the men behind the wheel. At other events its team work and slickness has been its strength when rivals have faltered. In Azerbaijan it was faultless en route to a 1-2 on a weekend where Ferrari displayed pace, it was there to pick up the pieces in both Bahrain and Canada, while its strategical nous delivered another win in Hungary. It has also largely improved its tyre usage this season, coinciding (some would say facilitated) with Pirelli reducing blistering, in effect dropping 2018’s Hypersoft, while also moving to a thinner gauge tread.
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10 wins from 12 is a frightening statistic but there have still been a few shortfalls and mishaps, though even then Mercedes’ ability in reacting to weaknesses means even its off-days are usually turned into long-term positives. The extreme heat in Austria prompted an opening of bodywork and the realisation that its radiators were too small, necessitating a re-design, though the impact of this may only be fully assessed if exceptionally hot temperatures strike again in 2019. Its result in Germany was a howler though on that front the blame must largely lie with its drivers, even if the 1950s-themed dress and widespread celebrations set itself up for a fall. Nonetheless, it remains Formula 1’s unmatched benchmark and that it has exceeded the mid-term points it gained during the phase when it had a dominant car (2014-16) shows just how much it has improved as an all-round team. It is, most likely, on course to be recognised as the greatest team in Formula 1 history, retaining motivation to find that extra inch in spite of all of its success. And that continued excellence is the best tribute to Niki Lauda, its non-Executive Chairman and conveyer of brutal bullets of honesty, who died on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix in May.
Lewis Hamilton has been operating on such a high level for such a sustained period that his continued brilliance is often overlooked – we have become accustomed to his displays (nearly) every weekend that they are almost taken for granted. Eight wins from 12 is a remarkable return to the extent that Michael Schumacher’s record is now creeping into view. He has the best machinery at his disposal but he continues to work to ensure he remains the benchmark, keen to always improve communication with his engineers, and does not let that focus slip. There was the horror show of Hockenheim, where he still took pole and led half the race, but aside from those two race errors he has been largely flawless. He won three, or perhaps four, races that others may not have done. In Bahrain he passed team-mate Bottas early on and then reeled in and overhauled Sebastian Vettel, leaving him to benefit when Charles Leclerc slowed. In Canada his relentless pressure bore fruit when Vettel erred, and in Hungary he executed Mercedes’ bold strategy to pass Max Verstappen. And when Mercedes put on the wrong tyres in Monaco he remained up front to take a win on an emotional weekend, even if the Hollywood-esque radio messages added more drama than perhaps was present. At other events, such as China, Spain and France, he was in a different postcode. Is there anyone who really doubts he will become a six-time champion long before the season is over?
Had this been written on lap 50 at Hockenheim then Valtteri Bottas’ mid-season report card would read: an encouraging start, and he’s still just about in the hunt. But two vital mistakes at a crucial time in the campaign has left him a long way adrift of team-mate Hamilton. His deficit is now a surely insurmountable 62 points and only the biggest supporter of Bottas would not expect a repeat to 2017 and 2018’s fadeaways. It was all so different in the early rounds as Bottas stormed to an emphatic victory in Australia and added another triumph in Azerbaijan, bookending two runner-up positions. His dominant pole in Spain underlined gains made during qualifying but since then his season has unfolded in a similar fashion. His performance in Canada was scrappy, he was bested by Hamilton in France and Britain – out-foxed strategically even if he displayed clinical racecraft – prior to his Germany error and first-lap calamity in Hungary. It is no disgrace to be out-classed by a team-mate of Hamilton’s stature, but the last two rounds have cost Bottas a hatful of points that he is unlikely to claw back. Even two P3s in a row would have changed the picture to a much more hopeful one. Does he get another chance in 2020? That call is currently being made by Mercedes. That it is not the slam dunk it seemed a couple of months ago shows how the early momentum and good feeling has ebbed away.
