NEWS UPDATE: “RED BULL and MAX VERSTAPPEN to maintain Formula 1 dominance in 2024.” Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton acknowledge.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledges the significant gap between Red Bull and the rest of the Formula One teams, describing it as a “Mount Everest to climb” in their efforts to catch up in the 2024 season. World champion Max Verstappen concluded a dominant campaign with his 19th victory in 22 races at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Despite Mercedes finishing second in the constructor standings, Red Bull maintained a substantial lead of 451 points.

Wolff commends Red Bull’s advantage, crediting their success to a strong start under the new regulations in 2022. He expresses respect for Red Bull’s achievements in both engineering and driver performance, emphasizing the challenges of beating them within the current regulations. Looking ahead to 2024, Wolff acknowledges the difficulty, even with Mercedes undergoing a complete redesign for the upcoming season.

Lewis Hamilton echoes the sentiment of a challenging year and downplays Mercedes’ chances for the next season, noting Red Bull’s unchanged car performance since August or July. Verstappen, reflecting on the dominant season, anticipates the difficulty of replicating such success in the future.

Wolff reveals Mercedes’ decision to overhaul their approach for the next season, changing the chassis layout, weight distribution, and airflow, emphasizing the necessity for a comprehensive transformation. He acknowledges the risk involved in such a redesign but emphasizes the team’s commitment to the challenge. Wolff hopes the changes will allow Mercedes to exert pressure on Red Bull in the upcoming season as they strive for a competitive edge.