Mercedes to push hard for P2 in F1 Constructors' title race

However, that will be one better than last year, when Ferrari beat them to second place in the 2022 F1 Constructors' title race. But still no team, Merc included, is close to the dominant Red Bulls, particularly the #1 car in the hands of soon-to-be triple F1 World Champ Max Verstappen.

Thus, in a modern sporting scenario where second place is merely first of the losers, the once unthinkable runner-up spot it will have to be for Mercedes whose eight-year streak of F1 Constructors' titles is fast becoming a distant memory. One victory in the past season and a half is testimony to that.

But inspiration has been found for the fight ahead, as team principal Toto Wolff explained in the Mercedes preview of the Zandvoort weekend: "It's good to get back to work. The summer break is important for everyone to take some well-deserved time off, but we're racers and we love the thrill of competition. We return recharged and ready for the second half of the season."

"We will push hard in the battle for second in the Constructors' Championship," Wolff trumpeted. "We will also be driving development forward for 2024. Those are challenges we are excited for, starting this weekend," added Wolff, ahead of Round 13 in Holland on Sunday.

Zandvoort is a fantastic place to resume the season. It's a challenging track with an old-school feel; banked corners and high-speed sections undulating through the dunes.

There's always an incredible atmosphere with the passionate Dutch fans and it's always a fantastic celebration of our sport. I'm sure this year will be no different and I'm excited to get there," said Wolff, despite the fact that the fans, this weekend, at Zandvoort, will be out for Max and RBR. A Mercedes cap will be hard to find among the sea of Orange ones.

Barring the true fight for this year's F1 titles, the battle for second place is indeed intriguing. Mercedes on 247 points (albeit half of Red Bull's leading score after 12-rounds) lead their customer team Aston Martin by 51 points, with Ferrari fourth for now, on 191 points with McLaren on 103 points, but McLaren is upwardly mobile at the moment, in a year of the tightest margins in the F1 midpack