Mercedes admits they no longer have ‘tire advantage’ over 2023 rivals Ferrari

Mercedes and Ferrari have been pretty much neck and neck in 2023.

Mercedes admits they no longer have ‘tire advantage’ over 2023 rivals Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz (Via IMAGO)

The Mercedes F1 team has been on an upward trajectory during the 2023 F1 season in comparison to its initial few outings. The German outfit has surprised several in the paddock with its resurgence. But amidst all this, Andrew Shovlin, the Mercedes trackside engineering director, has admitted that they no longer have the tire advantage they earlier had over Ferrari.

Mercedes and the Fred Vasseur-led Ferrari F1 team are locked in an intense battle for second place in the Constructors standings this year. While the former is currently ahead, the gap between the two prolific outfits is not too big. Charles Leclerc and Co. are right on the tail of Mercedes with only six races remaining in the 2023 campaign.

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The Brackley-based-team is well aware of the delicate position they are in currently and while talking about the same and the lost tire advantage to Ferrari during the Japanese GP weekend, Andrew Shovlin told Autosport, “I think the performance deficit that was there in qualifying, where we have a bit less performance through the fast corners, it’s the same thing that was costing us in the race.”

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“I think this track is just about how much grip you have got in the fast corners. A lot of that will be downforce. And we do look like we were a little bit behind in that regard. Ferrari did bring an updated floor. So maybe they’ve moved forward. But I think if we look at some of our recent tracks, that advantage we have with degradation, it’s not as evident now in the season as it was in the earlier races.”

Also read: Christian Horner gives his verdict on the prospect of Max Verstappen securing the 2023 title during Qatar GP Sprint

Mercedes is currently 20 points ahead of Ferrari in the 2023 standings

While Mercedes feels they have lost out on their important advantage over Ferrari for the remaining races of the 2023 F1 season, the situation can get worse for the Toto Wolff-led team. As things stand, the points gap between the two teams is only 20 points with Ferrari determined to nick second place away from the German team.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell (Credits: GPFans)

Both Ferrari and Mercedes are doing their best in their respective factories to produce as potent a car as possible for the remaining races. In the end, it is going to come down to who can out-develop the other. Moreover, the onus is also going to be on the drivers of both teams to do their part in obtaining their respective team’s targets.

From a Mercedes point of view, they are currently the ones getting chased and they would ideally want to keep things this way until the last race of the 2023 campaign. The upcoming tussles between the two teams are going to be a fascinating watch from the perspective of the neutrals. But when it comes to the fanbase of both teams, it is going to be nothing short of a nerve-wracking affair.

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