Helmut Marko Dissects Toto Wolff & Co’s Shady Tactics as He Questions Their Testing Approach
Sandbagging is the art of showcasing an F1 car to be slower than it is during pre-season testing. This is done in multiple ways, from drivers driving slower to the mechanical team implementing some kind of speed-reducing method. However, this is not a new practice and has been pulled off by teams for years.
With the pre-season testing for 2024 concluded, many teams have stronger gauges of their car’s capabilities. Teams also get to analyze how fast their opponents are on the track. And while the W14 was genuinely slow, the Red Bull director is having a hard time believing that Mercedes showed off the true potential of their car.
Doubts about Mercedes sandbagging their car
After the pre-season testing, Helmut Marko came forth to talk about his thoughts on what Mercedes had been up to during the testing. According to Mercedes-AMG F1 News’ post on X, Marko has stated that the Silver Arrows are faster than they are showing the world. This implies that they have been sandbagging during the trails to hide their true speed.
Similar speculations have been brought up in the past, about the W14, but in the end, it turned out to be Lewis Hamilton’s worst nightmare. Mercedes has dominated the grid for a while, but now it looks like their cars have been letting them down. This year, Mercedes has decided to go an interesting route for their front wing that has raised several questions around the paddocks. The car is on the fence of being illegal because of its front wing and the FIA is yet to rule out its decision.
