Why Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve think Mercedes should be concerned after Japanese Grand Prix
· Yahoo Sports
Kimi Antonelli may have taken the chequered flag at the Japanese Grand Prix, but Mercedes weren’t without their concerns following the weekend.
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Antonelli later admitted he benefited from a stroke of luck. Oscar Piastri had been on course for victory before a safety car allowed Mercedes to capitalise with a perfectly timed pit stop, handing the Italian the advantage.
Even so, Toto Wolff pointed out that Mercedes’ slow starts were becoming a recurring issue. It was the third time this season they’d had to recover from a poor getaway off the line.
The team also found it difficult to make progress through traffic – something that largely went unnoticed during the race until Jacques Villeneuve brought it up afterwards.
Villeneuve and Damon Hill both felt this was where Mercedes showed their first real signs of vulnerability. Kimi Antonelli and George Russell both faced strong opposition throughout the afternoon.
Mercedes No Longer Feel Comfortable as Title Favourites, Says Damon Hill
Damon Hill spoke about Mercedes on the F1 post-race show at Suzuka, highlighting a few things that could be cause for concern for the championship leaders.
He noted that it looks like both Ferrari and McLaren seem to have caught up to them, and they aren’t enjoying the dominance we saw from them during the first two races this season.
Hill explained why it doesn’t take long for teams to lose an edge in Formula 1, especially with all teams having access to similar data, particularly when using the same engine supplier.
“I think they’re experienced enough to know that nothing lasts forever. Being at the front, you can enjoy an advantage, but in this game, the rate of change is so quick.”
“And I think they also know that their Mercedes-powered competitors are learning what they already knew, and they may well find out the way to gain.”
“Some of this is about knowledge; it’s not necessarily about pure performance. It’s how to use deployment and the algorithms and all the rest of it that come into play.”
Jacques Villeneuve suggests Mercedes’ lead over the field is fading
Backing up Hill’s comments, Jacques Villeneuve also pointed out that Mercedes’ performance at Suzuka, a track that heavily depends on car quality, showed their advantage might not be as strong as it once looked.
“I would be worried if I was Mercedes now. The first two races, easy. They felt safe. They don’t feel safe after this race. The gap is not as big as they expected, mostly on a track that is very car-dependent.
“This is a track where, if your car is good, you’ll be in front. And a weekend for Mercedes where you don’t finish first and second is not a good weekend. A normal weekend for Mercedes is first and second. Today is a big off.”
Toto Wolff even said McLaren are catching up to them in terms of their understanding of the power unit.
The five-week break will give teams time to develop their cars further, and there’s already talk around the paddock about whether Ferrari and McLaren could close the gap even more before the next round in China.
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