Mercedes have given an update on the work going into their 2023 car, with the aim being to deliver the team back to the front of the field. It has been a challenging season for the Brackley-based outfit in 2022. After facing issues with bouncing and porpoising at the beginning of the campaign, there were signs of improvement as the year progressed. However, recent races have seen the Silver Arrows slip backwards in their battle with Ferrari for P2 in the Constructors' Championship. Despite this, the team's Technical Director, Mike Elliott, has suggested that key lessons can be learned from the W13 in order to prepare for next year's challenger.
How 2022 is influencing Mercedes' 2023 car plans
When asked how much lap time Mercedes need to gain in order to return to contending for the title in 2023, Elliott acknowledged that this is difficult to put a number on. "Obviously, we're well into next year's car at the moment," Elliott told media over the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. "I think, in terms of trying to predict what sort of lap time you need to find, it's quite difficult. I think there are races this year [when] we've been very close. "In fact, our race performance has been pretty decent at a number of races, and there have been races where we're somewhere away. "And I think what we've been trying to do is to understand that, and I think we do understand that now. We know what we need to put right."
Mercedes hopeful of return to front of pack
Ultimately, the goal for the Silver Arrows is to give Lewis Hamilton and George Russell a car capable of fighting at the front of the field again in 2023. "Then [after deciding what needs to be put right, you ask] how much performance do you need to find," Elliott explained. "I'm obviously not going to give you a number, because that would be giving a lot away, but I think it's within the bounds of what's possible to find. "So I think we've got to work diligently, work hard over the winter, but hopefully we can get ourselves back into position where we're fighting right at the front."
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