The Spanish Grand Prix was undoubtedly the strongest showing of the season so far from Mercedes.
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton came in third and fifth respectively at the Circuit de Catalunya. Can they get involved in the fight between Red Bull and Ferrari again in Monaco – a track where passing is notoriously difficult?
Are Mercedes truly back in the fight?
When Russell joined seven-time world champion Hamilton at Mercedes, few would have predicted that Russell would finish ahead of Hamilton in five consecutive races from their first six starts together. But with an impressive drive to third last weekend, that is exactly what Russell has achieved – albeit with some fortunate Safety Car interventions along the way.
Russell’s battle against the Red Bulls and ability to out-qualify and out-race the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz Jnr may have been promising enough for Mercedes’ heavily upgraded W13 in Barcelona, but Hamilton’s race pace during his recovery from 19th at the end of the opening lap will have done wonders for morale back in Brackley. Only a late water leak stopped Hamilton from crossing the line one place behind his team mate in fourth.
While Mercedes’ gains may not be enough to immediately propel them back into contention for race victories just yet, they may mark an important first step towards them playing a much larger part in the action at the front of the field. If Russell and Hamilton can be in the mix with Ferrari and Red Bull this weekend, then Mercedes may have truly turned a corner with their new upgrade package.
Is Perez purely now a number two driver?
Max Verstappen winning the Spanish Grand Prix was not too much of a surprise, given that he had already claimed three victories earlier in the season. But what was noteworthy was the nature in which he had achieved it.
Despite Verstappen having shown he had the pace to win, Red Bull’s…