James Allison warns Mercedes over ‘victim complex’ amidst performance slump

Mercedes Technical Chief James Allison advised the team to not formulate a victim complex after a winless 2023 season.

James Allison warns Mercedes over ‘victim complex’ amidst performance slump

Lewis Hamilton and James Allison (Via IMAGO)

Mercedes dominated Formula 1 for the better part of a decade. However, the Silver Arrows fell behind Red Bull with the ground-effect F1 regulations in 2022. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have expressed their disappointment after a winless campaign this season. Now Mercedes Technical Director James Allision has warned the team over developing a victim complex.

Allision highlighted that Mercedes is now viewed as a team that used to be great and is now declining. The Mercedes technical chief believed that such comments didn’t matter as long as the Silver Arrows could prove the critics wrong. The 55-year-old mentioned that the team has received what seems to be faux sympathy in the paddock lately.

People have written our future for us – ‘the once-great team now in decline'... they’ve got to say something. But our job is to show them they’re wrong. And imagine how good that’s going to feel, when they’ve all been looking sympathetically at us – or with faux sympathy in our direction.
James Allison said on the Performance People podcast (H&T: PlanetF1)

James Allison made it clear that it was important for Mercedes to bounce back. The 55-year-old reckoned that such comments could encourage its members to work harder. However, the Briton mentioned that this should not formulate a victim complex inside the team which would hamper its progress. The Mercedes Technical Director hoped that the Silver Arrows would surprise its critics soon.

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As long as it doesn’t spill over into a negative, victim complex and it’s more just the cheerful application of the skill in this place to come out and surprise people.

James Allison hopes Mercedes could fight for the title in 2024

Mercedes has gone through two rough seasons. The Silver Arrows were nowhere close to the dominant Red Bulls this year. Subsequently, the Brackley-based team narrowly clinched the runner-up spot in the standings. However, the team wants to get back to fighting for race wins against Red Bull next season.

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff
Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff (Via IMAGO)

James Allision claimed that it was the championship that truly mattered to him instead of race victories. The 55-year-old aims for the team to be able to have a shot at both titles next season. However, this would not be an easy task for the Silver Arrows. Allision admitted that no team in F1 has bounced back as quickly in the past.

I hope that we have done enough to give ourselves a shout of being in a Championship fight in both Championships.

Certainly, Mercedes has an uphill task for the upcoming F1 season. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are eager to get back to winning ways after a disappointing campaign this year. However, it remains to be seen if the Silver Arrows could manage to close the gap to reigning world champions Red Bull in 2024.

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