Why Mercedes' Spanish GP gains aren't as grand as they seemed

Mercedes' strong showing in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix prompted team boss Toto Wolff to say it had halved its deficit to the leaders and its Formula 1 title chances were back on after a rocky start to the 2022 campaign. But a closer inspection of the team's performance suggests its gains aren't as grand as they first appeared

Toto Wolff reckoned Mercedes had “halved the disadvantage to the frontrunners” in the Spanish Grand Prix. On initial inspection, it seems an entirely fair assessment. Both drivers came away from their first running aboard the revised W13 - which ran an updated front wing endplate, floor edge, body and rear corner - in Friday practice the happiest they’ve been this season. The porpoising that has shaken their confidence was limited to just a couple of corners. And George Russell would soon complete the Barcelona podium while Lewis Hamilton ended his mighty recovery effort in fifth.

But the validity of Wolff’s claim relies on at what point in 2022 you take the measurement. Yes, Mercedes is far closer to Ferrari and Red Bull than it had been at Imola, arguably its worst weekend of the 2022 campaign. But the pace on offer last weekend is still behind where the Silver Arrows began in Bahrain, the start of its leanest season in modern F1.

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Author Matt Kew

Matt Kew is Autosport’s F1 Editor, a role he has held since March 2022 following stints covering Formula E, Extreme E and the British Touring Car Championship.

Matt joined Autosport in 2018 to work predominantly on the magazine, but his relentless quoting of Alan Partridge meant office colleagues soon thought he would be better-suited to increased field work.

Needless to say, Matt had the last laugh when he won the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2019.

His interest in motorsport was sparked by regular trips to watch ASCAR crash around Rockingham’s banked oval.

Matt read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield - receiving first-class honours for his dissertation assessing the lack of female participation in top-tier motor racing.

He covered a wide variety of national race and rally meetings for Autosport as a freelancer before joining full-time. His best efforts to argue the merits of historic racing are undone by a questionable taste in music and James Bond actors.