What can we expect from Mercedes? 

Top of the agenda for Mercedes heading into 2023 is ensuring that their new car is one that is 𒈔capa🦄ble of challenging for world championships again. 

Mercedes have spent much of the 2022 season trying to get on top of their troublesome W13 after battling excessive porpoising that blighted their perfor🌌ꦓmance during the early rounds of the campaign. 

Unable to mount a title fight for the first time since 2013, Mercedes have found themselves with the third-fastest car during the first half of the 2022 season, behind rivals Red Bull and Ferrari.꧑ 

The German manufac🉐turer will be determined to return to winning ways in 2023 and unlock the kind of competitiveness that saw the team record eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021 and win seven drivers’ championships in the same period. 

Mercedes boast one of the strongest dr🌊iver line-ups on the grid with their all-British pairing of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who r🥃equire a car worthy of their talents. 

A change of car concept? 

Mercedes turned heads when they rocked up to Bahrain pre-s♌eason teꦅsting with a radical slim sidepod design - a stark contrast compared to t✃heir rivals. 

While most teams have favoured a similar design route to Red Bull, Mercedes have so far remained faithful to their ‘no sidepod’ concept, which the team believes has bags of potentiᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚal. 

However, Mercedes have left the door open to the possibility they could drastically change their car concept for the 20✅23 seasoꦰn. 

Earlier this season, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insisted there are “no holy cows” that are sacred on the team’s 2022 Fꦓ1 car. 

Speaking about Mercedes’ concept at the French Grand Prix, trackside engineering director Andrew Sho𒀰vlin added: “We don't think that just changing our sidepod will change our competitiveness. 

“We'r🅷e certainly not of that mind, nor 🐎are we wedded to saying this is how the Mercedes car must look.

“So from the very ear💯ly part oဣf the year, we’re looking at other team’s bodyworks and certainly with a view to next year, looking up and down the grid to see ideas.

“It m🦋ay be that we don't just take another team's idea. We're looking at combinations of different co🃏ncepts.

“It's a gradual process, but I think fundamentally our car isn't goin🅺g to change appearance massively this season.

“But I'd be s♒urprised if next year's car looks the same.”

Will Lewis Hamilton stay? 

One of the biggest question marks for Mercedes going 🌊into 2023 is whether Hamilton will extend his F1 career and race into 2024 and beyond.

While Russell’s future is clear given the 24-year-old 168澳💙洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:signed a long-term ꦗdeal with Mercedes, Hamilton’s current contract expires at the end of✅ 2023. 

Hamilton will be 38 by the time his existing deal runs out but the Briton insisted he still has 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:“plenty of 𒊎fuel left in the tank” after becoming just the sixth driver in F1 history to reach 300 races at the French Grand 🥃Prix. 

On the same weekend in France, Wolff said with a laugh that Hamilton could continue with Mercedes for another “five to 10 years”, reach 400🧔 races and target 10 world titles before he retires. 

Hamilton had previously said he did not want to race into his 40s, but the seven-time world champion hi꧑nted he h🃏as since had a change of heart. 

"I firstly just want to 𒊎be grateful to get to this point," he said. "I'm still fresh and still feel I'ꦫve got plenty of fuel left in the tank.

"Of course I want to get back to winning ways and that's going t🍸o take time. I'm sure we'll sit down at some stage and talk about the future.” 

Hamilton added: "I'm enjoy🥀ing what I'm doing, and 🌌feel really proud working with this incredible group of people.

"I'm also enjoying 🎀working with the sport more than ever. We've got some great people leading the sport, we're having great conversations about the direction we're going in.

"I'm enjoying it more than ever."