Bigwigs give Mercedes F1 team ultimatum: Start winning, or we support Aston Martin

The Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team is in very deep waters with their 2023 car, the W14. From a lack of downforce to difficulties driving it, it's not very good. And the fact that it's the fourth-quickest car on the grid is not helping.

But the W14 is an evolution of the team's 2022 car, the W13, which was a real dog to drive. Thankfully, in-season developments saw the team edge closer to Red Bull and secure a win in Brazil, but it is seemingly back to zero in '23.

Based on the data from the opening round in Bahrain, what was the best version of the car in the closing stages of '22 has been replaced with something two seconds off the pace at the start of '23. And yes, Mercedes-AMG knows it is in trouble, which they confirmed with an open letter to its fans.

"The situation we face right now isn't one that any of us wanted - but it's the one we have. That’s the reality of it," the team wrote on the official Mercedes-AMG F1 website.

The Alonso problem

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has taken solace in the fact that Aston Martin, who finished in third place in Bahrain with Fernando Alonso behind the wheel of the AMR23, uses many of his team's components, including the engine, gearbox, and broader powertrain. Effectively, this is as though a customer team has outperformed the supplier!

For Wolff, Aston Martin's performance gives him hope that his team can return to winning form, which is why work has begun on producing a B-spec car that will be launched sometime in 2023.

However, the bigwigs at Mercedes-Benz gave Wolff and co. an ultimatum: be in a winning position by Race 4 (Azerbaijan), or risk playing second fiddle to Aston Martin.

With the German automaker owning 20% of Aston Martin, it was decided that if the situation did not