Mercedes finds itself in a “no man’s land” according to Wolff
After the Monaco Grand Prix, Toto Wolff declared that his team was in no man's land to be the third strongest force on the grid.
In Monaco, Mercedes, without being flamboyant, stayed within their standards from the last few races. It’s become a habit now, as George Russell has achieved another top 5 finish, his seventh consecutive one in as many races this season. As for Lewis Hamilton, he only managed to finish eighth, after being stuck behind Fernando Alonso for a long part of the race.
The German team still sits in third place in the constructors’ championship after this Monaco Grand Prix, 65 points behind Ferrari and 75 points ahead of McLaren. More than ever, Mercedes is firmly established as the third force on the grid.
A gap between Mercedes and the other teams, whether it be in front or behind, which does not amuse Toto Wolff. « I think we are the third force. We are not second and we are not fourth. We have two extremely strong drivers, but it is a huge annoyance for all of us that the gap is more or less the same. »
Wolff believes that this gap with the teams ahead, Ferrari and Red Bull, is unacceptable. « If you look at it optimistically, it’s five tenths. If you look at it pessimistically, it’s over eight tenths. And that is clearly not acceptable for all of us at Mercedes. »
For him, the learning of the car continues despite the improvements made. « I think we are currently learning on every track. To be honest, every kilometer we cover is an important lesson on how to improve the car. But we just need to get out of this no man’s land we are in right now. »
The improvements made to Barcelona have hinted at a possible return of the Silver Arrows to the top of the timesheets. Monaco being a very special and atypical track, Baku could serve as a better point of comparison with the leading teams.
