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Verstappen not yet rid of Mercedes: 'Same parts in the car as then'

2 April 2021 at 11:59
Last update 2 April 2021 at 12:05
  • GPblog.com

Red Bull Racing was the big winner after the winter tests, but in the end, it is Mercedes who leads the drivers' and constructors' championship after the first Grand Prix of the season. In the space of two weeks, Toto Wolff's team has made considerable strides and developments are expected to continue.

What stands out is that Mercedes gained a lot of time in Bahrain without bringing any updates to the circuit in the desert. "There were the same parts in the car as during testing, just configured differently," said an unnamed Mercedes engineer in conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport.

Mercedes updates

During the three days of testing the rear of the car looked nervous, but the German team managed to solve that without having to fly in new parts. It is unknown when the first update pack will arrive in the Mercedes garage. Red Bull Racing will race the same RB16B as they did last week.

The 2021 Formula 1 season will see a record number of Grands Prix with 23 in total. The question is how long the teams will continue to develop their cars as the regulations for next year will be completely changed. Since this year there is also a budget limit, which forces teams to make such choices.