Brundle makes Liverpool comparison with “lack of confidence” at Mercedes

Mercedes head into this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix cautious about their chances following a mixed week of pre-season testing that led Lewis Hamilton to admit his team have “a mountain to climb”. 

After seeing their unprecedented streak of eight consecutive constructors’ come to an end during a miserable 2022 campaign, Mercedes are hoping their modified W14 can propel them back into title contention. 

But Mercedes still appear to be playing catch up to Red Bull heading into 2023, leading Sky Sports F1 pundit Brundle to liken their recent slide to the slump Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are going through. 

Brundle believes Mercedes are struggling with a “lack of confidence” following several small changes within the team. 

"It's odd isn't it right now, look at Liverpool for example," Brundle said on the Sky Sports F1 Show. 

"Little nuances, where you change the personnel, and there's maybe a lack of confidence. That's what I'm seeing at Mercedes at the moment.

"I thought last year they would just ace that car really quickly. When we saw it in the paddock a year ago, it was like: 'Nobody is going to see that for dust', which was wrong.

"Clearly they've still got to finesse it, and they need to do it early. Remember, last year, Verstappen didn't score any points until the second race, and still smashed the world championship. They'll need to get in there quickly, will Mercedes Benz, and sort it.”

Seven-time world champion Hamilton is yet to sign a new deal with Mercedes, leading to renewed speculation over his future. 

Hamilton’s current contract expires at the end of the year but initial talks about an extension have begun with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. 

Former F1 drivers Jenson Button and Damon Hill have suggested Hamilton is stalling over a new deal due the uncertainty surrounding Mercedes’ competitiveness.