Mercedes is in a “brutally painful” place three races into the Method 1 season, group principal Toto Wolff concedes.
Mercedes has solely scored a finest results of fifth place to date this season, with each automobiles retiring from the final spherical in Melbourne. Lewis Hamilton was out early with an influence unit problem, whereas George Russell crashed within the closing laps chasing Fernando Alonso. A post-race penalty for Alonso value Aston Martin two factors and dropped it behind Mercedes into fifth within the constructors’ standings, and Wolff insists there’s cause for optimism however he doesn’t know when Mercedes will flip its type round.
“Once I take a look at the positives, I believe we took many potential root causes out of the equation,” Wolff mentioned. “We weren’t positive about our suspension. We weren’t positive in regards to the stiffness of our gearbox service. We had a vibrating steering rack. All of these issues have disappeared.
“However essentially, no matter we see within the tunnel doesn’t correlate with what’s occurring on the observe. It’s not a single individual that claims, ‘I might interpret that knowledge on this means’ and due to dogmatism, we’re not making any progress. I don’t see dogmatism. I see an open atmosphere the place individuals share, the place individuals say, ‘Perhaps in my space we’re making errors.’
“It’s so powerful — in my profession, in every thing I’ve completed earlier than, be it in finance and funding — that you realize which screws to show. Typically it takes time as a result of again in my Williams days, I knew what was lacking. However right here, I don’t suppose we’re lacking one thing. It’s only a complication of what’s occurring with the automotive that we will’t see.
“It’s like an on-off change. And you then see the progress that McLaren and Ferrari have made. That is the distinction between final yr and this yr. [Melbourne] was a fairly good weekend for us final yr. We have been main at first, one and two. So we’ve acquired to actually dig deep as a result of it’s brutally painful.”
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Whereas Mercedes is arguably the fifth-fastest group in the meanwhile, Wolff says the progress made by its quick rivals behind Crimson Bull function a reminder of what’s potential even after a tough begin to a season.
“I believe there have been occasions within the race the place we massively lacked tempo. After which there have been occasions on the finish if you examine like for like, we have been doing OK,” he famous. “Nonetheless not the place we need to be. However you might see within the second stint, Fernando on the medium, we couldn’t come wherever shut.
“The lap occasions appeared like a second off the McLaren’s. After which out of the blue the final one, after we went for it, not worrying an excessive amount of, the lap occasions have been aggressive. Not [matching Carlos] Sainz, but it surely was a lot better.
“So clearly, we began the season within the perception that this automotive is healthier than it was final yr. You then take a look at final yr and take a look at these guys — [Charles] Leclerc crashed out and Sainz was fourth and acquired relegated to outdoors of the highest 10 due to the penalty. However on the highway, he was fourth and McLaren was seventeenth, 18th, nineteenth. And they’re 40s forward of us.
“So clearly on one aspect, I need to punch myself on the nostril. However on the opposite aspect, additionally it is an affidavit of that if you get issues proper, you may flip it round fairly shortly and also you’ve simply acquired to proceed to imagine. However in the meanwhile it is extremely, a really powerful time.”
