P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes are “clearly not the force they were” and face a “big year” in 2024, according to F1 expert Martin Brundle.
Mercedes, after a winless F1 season in 2023, is counting on a completely new car concept, the W15 challenger, to regain their position at the front of the grid. The team has been struggling since the introduction of new regulations in 2022 and hasn’t been able to fix their car design. The loss of key personnel in recent years has also contributed to their decline. Martin Brundle believes that Mercedes needs to realign their team and 2024 will be a crucial year for them. When asked about who has a better chance of winning a championship between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, Brundle couldn’t give a definitive answer but acknowledged that both drivers are closely matched. He also mentioned that if Hamilton feels that an eighth title is unattainable within a reasonable time frame, he might consider a Plan B, implying retirement.
