Mercedes' Upgrade Pays Off with Double Podium in Spain

The Spanish Grand Prix proved to be a pivotal moment in the 2023 Formula 1 season, as Mercedes introduced a significant upgrade package for their W14s. While the upgrades may not have delivered the larger step that everyone was hoping for, they were enough to secure a double podium finish for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

The changes made to the car in Monaco were significant, including moving away from the 'zero-sidepods' design concept that had been a feature of the car since 2022. The move was seen as a response to Red Bull's impressive start to the season, with many pundits suggesting that Mercedes needed to find more performance from their car if they were to challenge for the title.

On race day in Spain, Hamilton proved to be Verstappen's 'closest' challenger ( although still 15 seconds behind at the line), finishing second to the Dutchman. Russell, who qualified 12th, showed impressive pace throughout the race to move up to third by the chequered flag.

After the race, Hamilton paid tribute to the efforts of his team. "This is what we were hoping for when we brought the upgrades," he said. "I mean we’d hoped for more in the sense of a bigger step. The actual performance step they told us was under two-tenths, so it wasn’t like a... That’s still good, not the step that everyone is working so hard towards, but we’ll still take it."

Hamilton went on to praise his team and their work ethic: "But this result is definitely what we were working towards. This is amazing and it’s down to all the great, great work that is going on with the people back at the factory, keeping their heads down. I hope everyone is feeling really proud back at the factory."

Russell also expressed satisfaction with his performance: "Kudos to the team for giving me a really great car today. I mean, that was a fun race for us, starting from P12 and coming all the way to P3. A sign of things to come hopefully."

The upgrades seem to have had a positive impact on Mercedes' performance, but as ever in Formula 1, there are no guarantees. Red Bull have looked strong so far this season, and it will take more than one good result for Mercedes to catch them if there will be a chance.

However, the double podium finish does see Mercedes move up to second in the Constructors' Championship, taking advantage of Aston Martin's subdued performance to move from a one-point deficit to an 18-point advantage. It's a positive step for the team, and one that they will hope to build on in the coming races.

Overall, it was an encouraging weekend for Mercedes in Spain. The upgrades seem to have had a positive impact on their performance, and both Hamilton and Russell were able to extract maximum performance from the car. But there is still work to be done if they want to challenge for the title this season.