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Marko on Mercedes: 'Chances are they'll still develop that engine'
- GPblog.com
The problems at Mercedes already seemed serious in the test weeks, but after qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix it really became clear that they have taken a step back with the new regulations at Mercedes. Whereas in 2021 they were still on the front row of the grid with both cars, this year we see Lewis Hamilton back in fourteenth place in Jeddah.
Thanks to the loss of Mick Schumacher and Daniel Ricciardo's grid penalty, that's two spots higher than his position after qualifying, which was sixteenth. Serious problems for the reigning world champions, especially on the engine side. The customer teams of Mercedes are also disappointing. The Mercedes engine is worse than the Ferrari engine and the engine of Red Bull Powertrains this season, according to Helmut Marko. "That's a place for them that they are not familiar with," Red Bull Racing 's top advisor explained to ServusTV.
Little chance for Mercedes to develop
As of March 1, most of the engine has been "frozen," meaning that teams are not allowed to continue developing on it. Only the MGU-K, the battery and the Control Electronics (CE) may be further developed until September 1. So although Mercedes is now behind, Marko expects that they can still make a leap.
"You can never write off Mercedes. There is still a chance that they will bring upgrades until September 1. Until then, we have to make sure we score as many points as possible." Indeed, as this season Red Bull's counter still stands at zero points due to the double DNF in Bahrain.