Mercedes tells fans 'no panic, no scapegoats' after Bahrain bummer

In an open letter to its F1 fan community, Mercedes says there will be no "panic" or "knee-jerk reactions" to its current predicament, but a calm although urgent approach to its troubles.

On paper, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell's fifth and seventh place finishes in Bahrain last weekend could be interpreted as a points-scoring albeit lacklustre result for Mercedes.

And with 22 rounds to go, the subdued performance was but a minor setback for the Brackley squad.

However, the sheer gap between Mercedes and its Red Bull rival in qualifying and especially on race day, coupled with its underperformance relative to Ferrari and even Aston Martin, tells a story of a team that has no chance of being competitive this season without a radical makeover of its W14 car.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff finally admitted last weekend in Bahrain that its challenger's fundamental concept was flawed, while Hamilton reminded his crews of his warning last of his team remaining with its zero sidepod design for 2023.

As it attacks its issues head-on, Mercedes issued on Saturday an open letter to its fans in which it acknowledges its plight, ensures that its full focus is on its recovery plan while warning that a turnaround won't be "the work of a moment".

• Read also: Wolff insists Mercedes 'sticking together' amid Hamilton frustrations

"Bahrain hurt. It hurt each one of us, who head into every season determined to fight for world championships," Mercedes said. "

"It hurt the team as a whole, after pouring so much hard work into a car that hasn’t met our expectations. And we know it hurt you, our fans, too. Your passion and support are so important in driving us forward – and we know that we feel the same pain.

"The situation we face right now isn’t the one that any of us wanted – but it’s the one we have. That’s the reality of it. And the simple questions are: what can we do about it, and what will we do about it?

"First, we won’t panic or make knee-jerk reactions. In a spotlight as fierce as F1, people are quick to point fingers, or look for scapegoats. But you know us better than that.

"Inside the team, we talk about having the courage to fail, the character to be accountable and the strength to see failure as an opportunity. We have been open and searingly honest about where we find ourselves.

"And we are working urgently and calmly to build our recovery plan, focusing on what needs to happen short term, medium term, and long term to win. We already have developments in the pipeline for the next races – and there will be more to come.

"But this won’t be the work of a moment; there are no silver bullets in F1.

"Second, we will keep our heads held high – and take this journey step by step, together.

"We are Mercedes. We know the standards we aspire to, and nobody is flinching when we look at the mountain we must climb. It won’t be easy – but where’s the value in something easy?

"These are the times when character is forged; the times when a team becomes greater than the sum of its parts, tackling difficult problems and conquering them.

"We’re together through thick and thin – from Toto, Lewis and George, to every single woman and man in the factories in Brackley and Brixworth. And we love that challenge."

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