No doubt the most surprising part of Formula 1 winter testing in Bahrain was the performance of reigning champions Mercedes, with the team looking nothing like the dominant outfit we've come to expect. Whether it was Valtteri Bottas' gearbox issues on day one, Lewis Hamilton spinning off track or the team finishing the three days with the fewest laps completed, there is much work to be done for the Brackley outfit ahead of the first race of the season in Bahrain on March 28. No doubt we'll get a clearer picture of where Mercedes stand once the action gets underway for real, but it looks though the team are eager to put their testing struggles behind them. Mercedes' social media team are never shy when it comes to poking fun at themselves, having compiled a list of muted words over the years to avoid reading about their mishaps. Article continues below the Tweet
1371477306905100288?s=20
Updated the list. https://t.co/f20tG3HkSi pic.twitter.com/MjCOeUrMxL — Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 15, 2021
Their performance in winter testing has seen them add the word "sandbagging" to the list, as fans and pundits discuss whether or not their problems are an attempt to throw the rest of the field off their actual pace. The word joins other embarrassing moments that include Hamilton and Bottas' bad days during a wet race in Germany in 2019, and Spain 2016 when the Brit crashed into then teammate Nico Rosberg in what was perhaps the low point of their unhealthy rivalry.
Most read
