F1 Rumour: Mercedes Ready To Back Fernando Alonso Over Lewis Hamilton
The Mercedes F1 team have been flooding headlines since their disappointing start to the 2023 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Since then, rumours are swirling that Mercedes may be considering throwing its weight behind its customer team, Aston Martin, in a bid to win the championship.
The recent season opener has been disheartening for Mercedes, and the team's internal strife and dissatisfaction with the car are becoming more apparent. Meanwhile, Aston Martin, with Fernando Alonso behind the wheel, had a strong start to the season, finishing third on the podium in the first race.
According to reports from Express.com, Mercedes executives are considering focusing their attention on providing Alonso with the fastest engine, should their own team's performance continue to be subpar in the upcoming races in Saudi Arabia and Australia. This would be a blow to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who was hoping to clinch his eighth title with the team.
Should Mercedes decide to prioritise Aston Martin, it would mean that they are willing to invest more time and resources into their customer team than their own. This move would also prefer Alonso, Hamilton's former rival, over the star driver himself.
Reports suggest that the engine currently used by Hamilton, which delivers up to three kilowatts more power than Alonso's, may even be transferred to the Aston Martin garage, should the scenario come to fruition.
If Mercedes and Aston Martin join forces, they will go up against Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen in the championship race. Should they still fail to win, it will be a major defeat for the Mercedes team.
It remains to be seen whether these rumours hold any weight, but one thing is certain: Mercedes is feeling the pressure to improve their performance and stay competitive in the championship race.