Already conspiracy theories abound that Mercedes had been involved in an elaborate plot to mask their true form through the entire pre-season. Yet while such a monumentally impressive piece of sandbaggery would be an achievement of which they could be proud, the truth is more prosaic. Everyone involved, Toto Wolff, James Allison, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were all surprised by the advantage they held over Ferrari in Australia. Seven tenths was Hamilton’s lead over Sebastian Vettel in qualifying. They have simply once again done a ruthlessly efficient job of adapting to new regulations and coming out on top. What they showed in Melbourne with the surprise victory from Bottas was that their car, in favourable conditions is currently the best on the grid and as things stand, by some distance. Which is not to say they already have it sewn up. As Wolff acknowledged, Albert Park is an unusual circuit and finding the sweet spot of the new cars is tricky. Mercedes had it nailed but performance in Melbourne is no guarantee for a season.
Written by Giles Richards
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/mar/18/mercedes-are-the-team-to-catch-again-as-ferrari-continue-to-struggle under the title “Mercedes are the team to catch again as Ferrari continue to struggle | Giles Richards”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
