Schumacher makes BOLD Mercedes claim after Australian GP
Schumacher makes BOLD Mercedes claim after Australian GP
Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has played down Lewis Hamilton's podium finish at the Australian Grand Prix, calling the Mercedes' competitive performance a 'one-hit wonder'.
George Russell looked like a locked-in candidate for a place on the podium in Australia before encountering some poor luck, pitting under an early safety car which was soon upgraded to a red flag.
After losing the lead of the race as his rivals got a free stop while the race was halted, Russell's luck went from bad to worse when his W14 did its best Batmobile impression, spitting flames out of its exhaust and forcing the Brit to retire from the race.
Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, Schumacher explained how Albert Park played a huge role in Mercedes' strong performance.
Pace tricky to repeat?
"I think it was a bit of a one-hit wonder, to be honest," he said. "Australia has always been a track where you can do well with a car that was half-decent, but then you go to the next track and it's a whole different story."
The F1 expert highlighted two particular reasons the Silver Arrows were so strong on the streets of Melbourne.
Meca meteu pops, bangs and flames no carro do Russell pic.twitter.com/ecGXJslhqf
— Lendas do Asfalto (@lendasdoasfalto) April 2, 2023
"I think it was two things. It was a one-off due to the track. The other is, it showed that the Mercedes engine is currently the strongest when you look at the times in the second sector, even with Williams.
"All the Mercedes-powered cars were extremely strong this weekend, which is obviously a good sign for the engine."
The F1 expert backed up his point and mentioned how others benefitted from the track, including Nico Hulkenberg, who earned his first points of the 2023 season with Haas.
"We also saw with Haas, and with Nico Hulkenberg, who was very, very strong in comparison," explained Schumacher.
'Of course Mercedes can close the gap'
Schumacher also discussed whether teams will be able to close the gap to Red Bull over the four-week gap between Melbourne and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
"It is possible to reduce the gap? Of course," stated the German. "The question is, how long will it take Mercedes to do their homework? Hopefully, the car will still be strong enough then."
Mercedes will not only be looking to close the distance to Red Bull, but also to their customer team Aston Martin, who currently hold a nine-point lead over the Silver Arrows in the constructors' standings.
READ MORE: Toto Wolff: Net worth, wife and career profile of Mercedes giant
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Hamilton fired serious warning by Wolff as F1 star takes aim at controversial FIA decision - GPFans F1 Recap
- 2 minutes ago
F1's quirkiest star begins selling ICE CREAM in latest venture
- 1 hour ago
F1 colleagues UNFOLLOW each other as internal drama cranks up
- 2 hours ago
Hamilton 'emotional burden' heading into 2024 season revealed
- 2 hours ago
Marko DIRECTLY addresses Verstappen quit rumours
- 3 hours ago
Vettel CONFIRMS F1 comeback and reveals what's holding it up
- Today 19:42
- 1
F1 Race Calendar
-
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
- GP JAPAN 5 - 7 Apr
- GP CHINA 19 - 21 Apr
- GP USA 3 - 6 May
- GP ITALY 17 - 19 May
- GP MONACO 24 - 26 May
Related news
F1 pundit SLAMS Mercedes as Hamilton woes continue
F1 pundit claims Mercedes HARSHLY treated by rivals
Hamilton labelled 'best that's ever walked the earth' after INCREDIBLE display
F1 team SAVED Russell from major injuries after horror crash
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860