"1.5 seconds": Lewis Hamilton reveals Mercedes' estimated gap to Red Bull

Lewis Hamilton has revealed Mercedes' estimated gap to Red Bull is 1.5 seconds in 2023. Hamilton finished 52 seconds behind his 2021 title rival Max Verstappen in Bahrain's season opener two weeks ago.

Mercedes have been struggling with pace so far this season, with the Silver Arrows seemingly well behind their rivals Red Bull in 2023. The Anglo-German team failed to impress in the 2023 season opener, having been thwarted by Ferrari, Red Bull, and even Aston Martin. While the team struggled with high drag and porpoising last year, they purely lack the rear grip and downforce needed to battle Red Bull and others this time around.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton has downplayed his team's progress to Red Bull, claiming that his team is still 1.5 seconds per lap slower. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the 2023 Saudi Arabian GP, where Sportskeeda was present, Lewis Hamilton said:

"It's not on the straights. I think last year we were very draggy. We were struggling not only on the straights, we had to take a much bigger wing, but we were equalling, or if not, losing in the corners as well. This year. It's mostly through the corners. I think down the straights we're quick. But exits - these guys have a lot of rear end through the majority of the corners. So, I think in the race they weren't pushing. And so I think they're a lot quicker than they even seemed. But we have it as them being a second and a half faster in the race per lap. Something like that."

Tensions rising within Lewis Hamilton's team

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has expressed concerns about Mercedes' performance following their poor showing at the Bahrain GP in 2023. He believes there will be internal tensions due to their woeful form so far this year.

Despite the team's struggles last year with porpoising, their current challenge is the lack of downforce and rear grip needed to compete with front-runners Red Bull, Aston Martin, and Ferrari, leaving them at a disadvantage. Both drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, struggled in comparison to their rivals in Bahrain.

This failure in their aerodynamic philosophy has led Schumacher to speculate about possible internal conflicts within the team. When asked about a potential change in concept at Mercedes, Ralf Schumacher told Formel1.de's YouTube channel:

"There must be a dispute. Somehow, the head of technology must have managed to convince Toto Wolff again that the full strength of the concept can now be exploited. And Toto, what should he do, he has to believe in his technical team. He has now become world champion many times. It's not like that. So the tension was clear and clear."

With the track in Jeddah reported to suit Mercedes more than Bahrain, it will be interesting to see where Lewis Hamilton finishes on the grid this weekend.