F1 Saudi Arabian GP 2023: Mercedes takes first steps to recovery with minor upgrades scheduled in Jeddah

Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W14 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 05, 2023 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Mercedes are set to bring in upgrades to the W14 ahead of the race in Jeddah with more development plans in store for Imola, Italy.

After a devastating result during the first race of the season, Mercedes were sure to work rigorously on their car, trying to find the point where it has become weak. Soon after the race, Toto Wolff, the Team Principal, released statements referring to the Bahrain GP as the 'worst race' for them.

Along with this, he also mentioned that the car will be having certain 'visible' changes, perhaps referring to the side pods design the team has been following, the 'zero pod.' Nevertheless, as per recent reports, Mercedes is planning to bring in some changes for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix next week which might help them to be more competitive during the upcoming races.

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Despite being the third (or perhaps the fourth) fastest car, the team is aiming to compete with Red Bull who currently sit at the top of the Formula 1 standings. While this could be tough, the upgrades are sure to bring in some hope for at least being a little more competitive in the race.

Mercedes already planning aerodynamic changes for Imola

While there will be upgrades on the car for the upcoming race in Saudi Arabia, there are also changes planned for Imola, aerodynamic ones, perhaps. As per reports, there are packages ready for the W14 in the wind tunnel which are expected to be used on the car from Imola. Since it is thought that the car suffers from a lack of downforce, these changes might help them to perform much better than in past races.

More importantly, a change in the side pod design could be noticed later in the season since it has been criticized ever since the aerodynamic regulation changes in 2022. Mercedes is the only team to use the concept on the grid, and it hasn't been going too well for them.

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While these changes will help the team in gaining some performance boosts, it cannot be expected that a few upgrades will help them catch Red Bull or Ferrari.

Many have thought that this season might not be the one when Mercedes are finally able to grab a world championship, however, if they focus on the future car from now on itself (as said by Karun Chandhok from Sky Sports), they could be competitive enough to win.