Just when things couldn’t get any worse for Mercedes after enduring a miserable start to the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Brackley-based team have reportedly been given an ultimatum by the bosses of the manufacturer; improve immediately or lose the best engines to Aston Martin.
The jaw-dropping situation has been reported by The Objective, who have stated that Aston Martin will receive Mercedes’ best engines over the factory team, unless the factory side can improve in Saudi Arabia and Australia.
Aston Martin were incredible in Bahrain and look like Red Bull’s closest competitor for the time being, with Fernando Alonso having topped two free practice sessions, before claiming P3 in the first race of the year.
Lance Stroll was a few places behind in sixth, despite having raced with a broken toe and two battered wrists following a cycling accident in Spain.
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Lewis Hamilton was Mercedes’ top finisher in fifth, with the 38-year-old having revealed after the race that the Silver Arrows failed to listen to his feedback in regard to the W14’s issues.
“Last year, I told them the issues that are with the car. I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t need,” Hamilton told reporters after Bahrain.
“And I think it’s really about accountability. It’s about owning up and saying ‘yeah, you know what, we didn’t listen to you, it’s not where it needs to be and we’ve got to work’.”
Hamilton’s frustration has led some to believe that he could walk away from the sport at the end of the season if things don’t improve at Mercedes, with his current contract set to expire at the end of 2023.
Others have speculated that he could instead move to a rival team, with some questioning if Ferrari could be a possibility for the seven-time World Champion.
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George Russell is equally unhappy with the W14 and believes Red Bull already have the “championship sewn up”.
The British driver finished seventh in Bahrain, behind his team-mate and both Aston Martin drivers.
According to Formu1a.uno, a crisis meeting took place at the team’s Brackley base this week, where technical director Mike Elliot was reportedly given an “ultimatum” to get the W14 to the front of the grid.