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Despite their recent struggles, renowned F1 pundit Naomi Schiff has come forward to commend Mercedes for their remarkable consistency in the current season.
Over the past season and a half, the team has faced a formidable opponent in Red Bull Racing, led by the exceptional Max Verstappen. The Austrian outfit's immaculate engines and Verstappen's dominant form have given them a significant advantage, putting Mercedes on the back foot.
The 2023 season has seen the Brackley-based side fall behind, trailing Red Bull by a substantial 256 points. At the halfway point of the season, the team has not secured a single race victory, a stark contrast to their past years of unprecedented success.
However, amid the challenges, Naomi Schiff believes Mercedes' performance deserves recognition. Despite their struggles to challenge for the championship, the team is still holding on to the second spot in the championship standings.
Post-Belgian GP, Schiff remained firm that Lewis Hamilton will eventually dethrone Fernando Alonso to make the third position in the standings his own.
“Despite Fernando’s great recovery today, Lewis is in a good position [to claim P3 in the standings],” Schiff said.
Fans' disappointment at the German outfit not being on the top step of the podium every race is understandable, given their historic achievements in the sport. The team had enjoyed an incredible run of success over eight years, setting the bar incredibly high.
Still, according to Naomi Schiff, they currently have the second-best car on the grid. She highlighted Lewis Hamilton's promising performances in Hungary a week before. According to Schiff, Hamilton's pole position on the weekend showed that the team's car is capable of delivering strong performances on Sundays.
“We had a pole position from Lewis. Even though the global picture is not them on the podium at each race event, they have a car that on a Sunday really does perform."
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes "did not have enough" to chase down Charles Leclerc, according to Naomi Schiff
The Sky F1 pundit also pointed out that the recent race at Spa-Francorchamps was more concerning for Mercedes due to the impressive pace demonstrated by Ferrari.
Schiff reiterated that there are plenty of reasons for Mercedes and its fans to remain optimistic. While the race showcased Ferrari's fantastic pace in both wet and dry conditions, the team managed to stay relevant.
Hamilton's valiant efforts to close the gap between him and Charles Leclerc, although not enough to secure a victory, demonstrated the car's prowess on race day.
“Today the bigger concern was the Ferraris, they had fantastic pace in the dry and the wet. Their car is in a window where it’s really working. Lewis was 2-3s behind Charles the whole race. He didn’t have enough in the end to chase him down," said Schiff.
Schiff pointed out that Mercedes possesses a consistently competitive car, unlike some other teams that are more track-specific, excelling at certain circuits while struggling at others.
“There’s enough to be positive about. They have a car – unlike other teams who are very track-specific – they are consistently there or thereabouts. Something to build on, for sure”.
As the 2023 season progresses, Mercedes will undoubtedly be working tirelessly to improve their car's performance and close the gap to Red Bull.
