Helmut Marko believes Mercedes are too far behind to have an impact on 2023 Formula 1 Championship
Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko
While Mercedes are doing their level best to put out fires and insist there is no panic at the team, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has already written them off as a title rival this season.
Mercedes' start to the 2023 season has been so poor, rumours began to surface that the team was considering scrapping this season entirely and focusing all their efforts on the new car for the 2024 campaign.
However, the Silver Arrows quickly rubbished the hearsay and insist there is no panic behind closed doors while admitting a lot of work needed to be done.
"We won't panic or make knee-jerk reactions," Mercedes wrote in a letter to its fans and stakeholders.
"We have been open and searingly honest about where we find ourselves. And we are working urgently and calmly to build our recovery plan, focusing on what needs to happen in the short-term, medium-term, and long-term to win.
"We already have developments in the pipeline for the next races - and there will be more to come. But this won't be the work of a moment; there are no silver bullets in F1," Mercedes added.
Even team principal Toto Wolff has freely admitted that it isn't simply a matter of upgrading what they have
"Conventional updates that bring a few points of downforce won't catch us up with Red Bull," Wolff said.
"We need big steps because we're a long way away."
For his part, Marko isn't convinced that Mercedes will get anywhere near the front of the grid in 2023.
"It's not one problem, it's several problems," Marko, 79, told the German broadcaster ntv.
"The solution didn't come over the winter, either, which I'm rather surprised about.
"You are simply limited in your options now. You can't design two or three cars in a year.
"Even if a completely new car comes, now, then it will be difficult afterwards because of the financial limitations.
"In this respect, I think it's realistic to say the world title is out of reach for Mercedes."
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