Mercedes did not win any of the opening three rounds of the 2018 Formula 1 season, its longest drought in the hybrid era, but it bounced back to storm to its fifth successive Constructors’ Championship. Motorsport Week looks at how the Silver Arrows struck gold once more.
Keep It Simple, Stupid
Mercedes dominated Formula 1 in the opening three years of the hybrid era but revised technical regulations for 2017 brought Ferrari – and to a lesser extent Red Bull – into play. Mercedes went on to clinch both titles but was wary that it still had improvements to make, having at times struggled with its ‘diva’ W08. Mercedes nonetheless had the best package in 2017 and consequently kept its long-wheelbase concept with the W09, albeit with slightly more rake, opting to follow a similar design philosophy aimed at developing the strengths of the 2017 car while improving its weaker area. There was no point taking a gamble by introducing a new approach with stability in the regulations.
Minimising losses, maximising gains
It is almost unthinkable now to recall that questions were being asked of Mercedes after it did not win any of the opening three races, owing to a strategic blunder in Australia, Ferrari’s pace in Bahrain, and the Safety Car timing in China. Even when it did triumph in Azerbaijan it was a bittersweet win owing to Valtteri Bottas’ late puncture. Mercedes dominated in Spain and France and still picked up a healthy hatful of points in Monaco and Canada, where it was unable to best Red Bull and Ferrari at the respective rounds. It was two wins apiece for the lead trio after six rounds but still, Mercedes had done enough to lead the standings.
Austrian highs and lows
The Austrian Grand Prix weekend demonstrated the highs and lows of 2018. Mercedes introduced a substantial and striking upgrade package that left it comfortably the fastest car around the Red Bull Ring, with a revised sidepod section leading to reduced drag, more aero and more rear stability. It was set for a 1-2 but a strategy mistake and a rare double DNF wrecked its weekend. But Mercedes was able to take the lessons from both its pace and the reliability issues to re-emerge stronger, while James Vowles’ very public apology in-race on the radio demonstrated the open culture that has allowed the team to flourish. Culpability and self-reflection is regarded as a strength, not a weakness.
A little helping hand from the weather
Mercedes did not have the fastest package in either Germany or Hungary, but fate intervened. Hamilton’s rise from 14th on the grid at Hockenheim was already a stirring performance even before the set of circumstances that resulted in the Briton being gifted the lead in the wake of Vettel’s high-profile error. A 1-2 was unthinkable 24 hours before. At Budapest Hamilton’s superb pole lap in the wet provided the platform to triumph, while Bottas kept Vettel behind for a crucial spell, though cost points when he then collided with the Ferrari driver. Mercedes nonetheless went into the summer 10 points clear when it could have faced a deficit – a big psychological help.
Spa reaction
Mercedes introduced its third specification engine alongside another aero update, but it was comfortably shown a clean pair of heels by Ferrari, as Sebastian Vettel breezed past Lewis Hamilton and controlled the remainder of the race. It was a chastening defeat for Mercedes but it scrutinised its weakness and recognised that it struggled for traction through the slow-speed Bus Stop and La Source complexes, robbing it of top-end straight-line speed further down the track. Toto Wolff sent a stirring email vowing that Mercedes would not give up and the team duly investigated its flaws and hit back strongly.
On-form Hamilton, off-form Ferrari
The run from Italy through Japan – incorporating Singapore and Russia – was profitable for Mercedes and a nightmare for Ferrari. Hamilton pushed Vettel into a mistake at Monza, while tyre blistering for Raikkonen skewered Ferrari further. Hamilton’s brilliant pole lap in Singapore proved influential while in Russia Mercedes had the quicker package, and implemented team orders, while its pace was repeated a week later in Japan, as mistakes for Vettel compounded prospects further. Their diverging prospects were pivotal; in that four-race run Mercedes scored 163 points from a possible 172, Ferrari just 100.
Getting over the line
That sweeping form hit the buffers in the US and Mexico as Mercedes finished third fiddle to Ferrari and Red Bull, amid excessive and unexpected tyre wear at both events. Ferrari also revealed that it had taken a step back to go forward, acknowledging that its recent updates had not worked as expected – another crucial area in 2018 where Mercedes held the upper hand. Mercedes needed to avoid being out-scored by Ferrari by 13 points and it achieved that in style, with Hamilton battling tyre degradation and a glitching engine to secure a Brazilian triumph that sealed the crown.
