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The Story of 2023: Part Two – A New Direction

The 2023 Formula 1 season was full of ups and downs for the team but we battled through and ended P2 in the Constructors' Championship.

In part two of our look back at 2023, we talk development, Hungary and the Summer Break!

We knew a new approach was needed after a less than ideal start to the season.

Upgrades are not typically brought in for the Monaco Grand Prix but after the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna race because of flooding in the region, the new-look car got its first outing on track in the principality.

The first step in a new development direction brought a different W14 to Monaco and we came away with Lewis P4 and George P5.

We were also unlucky not to claim a podium too after a small mistake by George at Mirabeau during a late race rain shower dropped him down to fifth.

Despite George dropping a couple of places late on, it was a successful weekend overall for the team.

First Step in a New Development Direction

It was capped off by the team collecting the inaugural Grace Influential Positive Impact Award for our commitment to sustainability, in recognition of our Accelerate 25 programme.

Bradley Lord, Chief Communications Officer, said: “At Mercedes, we believe that a more diverse and inclusive team drives greater performance on track.

“Led by our fantastic Human Resources group, Accelerate 25 was launched in December 2020 to realise every advantage of becoming a more diverse team.

“So far, we have seen positive changes in the make-up of our team and created inspirational experiences for young people to show how F1 can be a STEM career opportunity in the future.”

ACCELERATE 25

The Spanish Grand Prix was next up and we were able to showcase more of what the upgrades brought to car as we claimed our first double podium of the season.

A rocky start to the weekend saw us qualify in fifth (Lewis) and 12th (George) but come raceday the team shone.

Both drivers started the race on Soft tyres and made up several places on the opening lap.

A longer first stint before switching to the Mediums helped the team move up to P2 (Lewis) and P3 (George) just after the halfway point of the race – where we would stay until the chequered flag.

The team’s podium double was our first since the Brazil Grand Prix in 2022 and with a strong points-haul we moved up to P2 in the Constructors Championship for the first time in the season.

After the race, George stayed in Barcelona to take part in the Pirelli test along with Mick, which was the first time our Reserve Driver had driven the W14 and the first time he’d been back in an F1 car since the end of 2022.

We’re going in the right direction

Lewis

The Canadian Grand Prix was another mixed bag for the team.

Buoyed by Barcelona, we looked in reasonable shape going into the Montreal race. We knew that it wouldn’t be our strongest circuit but another podium for Lewis highlighted the improvements we’d made to the car.

“I do believe we will get there at some stage and we are going in the right direction,” Lewis said after the race.

It was a frustrating weekend for George though as he was forced to retire with a brake issue after having hit the wall early on.

Austria then played host to the second Sprint weekend of the season but our frustrations followed us from Spain.

George finished P8 in the Sprint, with Lewis P10 and our fortunes did not get better in the full race with the pair finishing P7 and P8 respectively.

A fantastic home Grand Prix followed as we came to back Silverstone. A great crowd and fan-zone appearances by the drivers helped build an incredible atmosphere.

Lewis secured his 14th British Grand Prix podium with a third-place finish, while George ended P5.

Between Silverstone and Hungary there was a special moment for Mick as he drove his father Michael’s W02 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed – he even wore the overalls and his helmet! Despite the rain, it was a memorable day for everyone.

On to the Hungarian Grand Prix and a standout moment for Lewis.

Qualifying was difficult for George as he found traffic on his out lap in Q1 and was knocked out in P18.

For Lewis, Q1 and Q2 were relatively comfortable as he made his way into Q3 and in the last stint it all came down to the final runs on the Soft tyre. With a margin of just 0.003s over Max Verstappen in the Red Bull, Lewis secured our first pole of the season.

It was Lewis’ first pole since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, his 104th overall and it also set a new record for most poles at a single F1 track.

On race day, George made great progress, fighting from the back to take a brilliant P6. And while Lewis could not hold off Verstappen and the McLarens, it was another solid outing to finish P4.

Spa and the Belgian Grand Prix brought the curtain down on the first half of the season.

It was a tricky Sprint for the team but another solid full race on Sunday brought us a healthy amount of points to take into the break.

Lewis claimed fourth as well as the fastest lap, while George finished sixth – a frustration for him, knowing he had pace in the car.

A better end to the first half of the season meant we went into the Summer Break P2 in the Constructors’ Championship, 51 points clear of Aston Martin, with Lewis P4 in the Drivers’ Standings, one point behind Fernando Alonso.

Toto: We Always Show Great Unity