David Coulthard shares “troubled” Mercedes worry
"But they are having a troubled time in one of the most competitive eras in Formula 1."
David Coulthard has shared his concerns about Mercedes’ competitiveness.
Toto Wolff’s formerly dominant team are now stuck in their third F1 season lagging behind front-running Red Bull.
In Miami last weekend, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished behind one McLaren (the race winner Lando Norris), both Ferraris and both Red Bulls.
Ex-F1 driver Coulthard told Channel 4: “It’s disappointing for us all. We want to see George and Lewis in the mix.
“Quality drivers. One with the seven-time world champion stamp… and we know it could be more…
“They are having a troubled time. But they are having a troubled time in one of the most competitive eras in Formula 1.
“In China, the spread from pole to last was one-and-a-half percent.
“The difference between Usain Bolt winning the 100m and the guy in eighth was two percent!
“So let’s keep it in perspective. They are dealing with small margins.
“But that’s what Formula 1 is. It represents the very best.
“They are two great drivers. They need to keep looking at the areas they can improve on that car.
“But right now? It’s troubled times.”
Victory at the F1 Miami Grand Prix for Norris represented a win for Mercedes’ customer team, furthering their woes.
At the beginning of last year, it was their other customer team - Aston Martin - who frequently outperformed Mercedes.
Mercedes will lose star man Hamilton to Ferrari in 2025 and the next phase of their rebuild must revolve around which driver is selected to replace him.
Wolff has targeted Max Verstappen and hopes that the inner turmoil at Red Bull could tempt the reigning champion to quit.
Other options include Carlos Sainz or Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
