Ted Kravitz reveals the “paddock theory” that Mercedes “missed a trick” ahead of F1 2023 season
There is an air of caution around Mercedes’ hopes as the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:F1 Bahrain Grand Prix, the first race of 2023, looms.
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton has already been written off from winning an elusive eighth championship by some experts, but his team's decision-making before the new en🌊gine regulations has now been questioned.
Now Kravitz said on Sky: “Given the sport’s engine freeze until 2026, there is a theory around the paddock - because Mercedes were reliable with their power unit last year, they missed a trick in terms of designing it to be powerful but not reliable and then being able 𒁏to fix t🌼he reliability, which was allowed up until September last year.
“Lots of other manufacturers did that. Renault d𒐪id that, Ferrari did that, Honda did that. It meant that they couldn’t get to the end of the season without using an exꦛtra power unit and getting a penalty.
“But they didn’t mind that because they could bring the changes to the engine on re൩liability but have a 🌱secondary benefit of adding a bit more power as well.
“Everyone can see that memo when an engine manufacturer says we 𝓡want to bring [an upgrade] for reliability, that gets 💮circulated to all the other manufacturers.
“Everybody knows what everybody else is doing but it does🅷n’t mean the engine manufacturers can’t add a little bit more power in the name of reliability as well.
“You ask Mercedes, they say: ‘We built the engine to do the whole season and in the case of the customers, both Aston-Martins and both William🦹❀s didn’t take an engine penalty last year with three power unit elements’.
“Well, you migh🐎t say: ‘Hang on, you have go🔜ne the other way, you should have gone a bit more performance’.
“Take the hit on the engine penalty with reliability but be able to improve that under the engine freeze. But that is not what Mercedes have done an😼d only time will tell if Mercedes live to ♒regret that.”
Lewis Hamilton’s F1 title hopes ruled out
Kravitz said: "Michael Schumacher wasn't able to win an eighth, Lewis Hamilton hasn't been able to win an eighth - is there something in the stars about an eighth world c🔯hampionship?"
Sky colleague Martin Brundle said: "I think time is looking 🌺against him."
Karun Chandhok a📖dded: "I think there's a very low chance of him winning that eighth title this year.
"Because unless Mercedes have got a huge amount of sandbags in that car it so far looks like they'r🍸e notꦿ going to be able to stop Max this year."
