Schumacher makes BOLD Mercedes claim after Australian GP

Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has played down Lewis Hamilton's podium finish at the Australian Grand Prix, calling the Mercedes' competitive performance a 'one-hit wonder'.

George Russell looked like a locked-in candidate for a place on the podium in Australia before encountering some poor luck, pitting under an early safety car which was soon upgraded to a red flag.

After losing the lead of the race as his rivals got a free stop while the race was halted, Russell's luck went from bad to worse when his W14 did its best Batmobile impression, spitting flames out of its exhaust and forcing the Brit to retire from the race.

Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, Schumacher explained how Albert Park played a huge role in Mercedes' strong performance.

Pace tricky to repeat?

"I think it was a bit of a one-hit wonder, to be honest," he said. "Australia has always been a track where you can do well with a car that was half-decent, but then you go to the next track and it's a whole different story."

The F1 expert highlighted two particular reasons the Silver Arrows were so strong on the streets of Melbourne.

Meca meteu pops, bangs and flames no carro do Russell pic.twitter.com/ecGXJslhqf

— Lendas do Asfalto (@lendasdoasfalto) April 2, 2023

"I think it was two things. It was a one-off due to the track. The other is, it showed that the Mercedes engine is currently the strongest when you look at the times in the second sector, even with Williams.

"All the Mercedes-powered cars were extremely strong this weekend, which is obviously a good sign for the engine."

The F1 expert backed up his point and mentioned how others benefitted from the track, including Nico Hulkenberg, who earned his first points of the 2023 season with Haas.

"We also saw with Haas, and with Nico Hulkenberg, who was very, very strong in comparison," explained Schumacher.

'Of course Mercedes can close the gap'

Schumacher also discussed whether teams will be able to close the gap to Red Bull over the four-week gap between Melbourne and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

"It is possible to reduce the gap? Of course," stated the German. "The question is, how long will it take Mercedes to do their homework? Hopefully, the car will still be strong enough then."

Mercedes will not only be looking to close the distance to Red Bull, but also to their customer team Aston Martin, who currently hold a nine-point lead over the Silver Arrows in the constructors' standings.

READ MORE: Toto Wolff: Net worth, wife and career profile of Mercedes giant

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