Things are looking up for Mercedes after a strong showing at the Australian Grand Prix – but Ralf Schumacher is not convinced it will be anything more than a flash in the pan.
The Silver Arrows have struggled again at the start of this new Formula 1 season. The W14 does not seem to be the car which will return the team to competing at the very front again, and is clearly not a favourite of Lewis Hamilton.
"I just don't feel connected to this car and I can't get it. I don't really know what I'm going to do about that," the obviously dejected Brit said after qualifying in Jeddah last month. "It's miserable. It's tough. I'm giving it absolutely everything. I'm here as late as I can be every day and preparing as best as I can with the car, and I still just can't connect with it."
But he fared a lot better in Melbourne last weekend. Both Hamilton and George Russell secured strong results in qualifying, both of them behind only Max Verstappen. And, at the start of the race, they both got the better of the Dutchman in the first few corners to take early control.
Russell was unlucky that the first red flag came just seconds after he had pitted for new tyres, meaning he dropped from first place to seventh. And he was even more unfortunate when, while pushing to climb back up the leaderboard, his power unit failed and he was forced to retire.
But Hamilton was able to capitalise on his stronger pace. He finished second behind Verstappen to claim his first podium of the year, and was all smiles after the race, clearly much more satisfied with the machine under him over the course of the weekend.
It remains to be seen whether the Silver Arrows will be able to build on that strong performance and gather some momentum in the coming races. Schumacher is not convinced, as he feels the Albert Park track played a significant role in Mercedes' improved pace.
He told Sky Sports Germany: "I think it was a bit of a one-hit wonder, to be honest. Australia has always been a track where you can do well with a car that was half-decent, but then you go to the next track and it's a whole different story.
"I think it was two things. It was a one-off due to the track. The other [factor] is, it showed that the Mercedes engine is currently the strongest when you look at the times in the second sector, even with Williams. All the Mercedes-powered cars were extremely strong this weekend, which is obviously a good sign for the engine."
But he wasn't all negative about Hamilton's team, adding: "It is possible to reduce the gap? Of course! The question is, how long will it take Mercedes to do their homework? Hopefully, the car will still be strong enough [for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix]."
