Toto Wolff is convinced that Mercedes is now on the right trajectory
According to the boss of the Mercedes team, the team now has an idea of what needs to be done to improve the W14.
Before the resumption of F1 in 2023, Mercedes had high hopes for the improvements made to their car during the winter, resulting in a highly competitive W14. However, they were brought down to earth in the very first Grand Prix in Bahrain, where Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished 5th and 7th respectively. Toto Wolff described this start to the season as one of his worst days in motor racing.
In Australia, the team has seen significant improvements, despite Russell’s retirement due to a car fire. The seven-time world champion, therefore, claimed second place, just behind his rival Max Verstappen. Currently, Mercedes ranks third in the constructors’ championship, with Hamilton and Russell in fourth and seventh place respectively in the drivers’ standings. Toto Wolff now believes that the team knows what needs to be done to enhance the W14.
Regarding the development of the car, it is encouraging to see that within three races, we understand the car much better, we have defined a clear direction we need to go and I believe we are on the right track, stated Wolff on the Mercedes website.
“We need to consolidate our understanding and hope that we will be able to take another step in the next races,” he adds.
It is also important to stay on the right track and not fluctuate too much between exuberance and depression; to stay rational and believe in our trajectory, to believe in the team’s capabilities. There will be setbacks, but there will also be improvements and a lot of work that will help us move forward, predicts the boss of Mercedes.
New elements coming soon
After a long four-week break since the Australian Grand Prix, Formula 1 will return on April 30th in Baku and will then enter into an intensive period of five races in six weeks. Wolff asserts that Mercedes plans to introduce new components on the W14 during this period, but he does not anticipate a drastic and immediate change in the car’s performance.
“We will regularly make improvements to the car throughout the upcoming races, which is something to look forward to,” he said. “But there is no magic solution that transforms the car, and it is important to be realistic with expectations. Hopefully, we will see a consistent improvement.”
Regarding the improvements to be made to the race car, Toto Wolff indicated, by way of comparison, that Mercedes needs to have a steeper development curve than that of Red Bull. They are setting the standard now. We have confidence in the process and the people, and there will be setbacks. But if the trajectory is upward, that’s where we want to go, he concluded.
💬 “The mindset is great, the spirit is there and I see a lot of buzz. I believe 100 percent in our organisation.”
Catching up with the Boss as we prepare for a busy month of racing. 👇
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) April 20, 2023
