Verdict: Fierce battle coming up between Mercedes and customer team Aston Martin

Mercedes has struggled since the introduction of the new Formula 1 regulations in 2022. The team also had a difficult start in 2023, but the latest updates seem to be working for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Aston Martin surprised friend and foe by starting the F1 season as the obvious number two, overtaking Ferrari and Mercedes. Mercedes' customer team had done its homework better than the factory team, but at the Spanish Grand Prix there finally seemed to be a breakthrough for Mercedes.

The German formation finally said goodbye to the much-discussed zero sidepod concept with its latest update package. During the weekend they were first assessed properly, they ended with two podium finishes, although the team still had to concede a lot to race winner Max Verstappen.

Mercedes was clearly faster than Aston Martin in Spain. To what extent this is due to either updates or the possibility that Fernando Alonso's team simply had a bad weekend remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that Toto Wolff's team has taken a step in the right direction. But is that enough to overtake customer team Aston Martin for good, or is the Silverstone-based team still holding something back?