Wolff: Hamilton focused on Mercedes, not on Ferrari rise

Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton isn’t “trying over the fence” at greener pastures at Ferrari, his future staff, insisting the Briton stays dedicated to serving to Mercedes navigate its present struggles.

Ferrari’s early season kind factors to a staff that seems to have ironed out its previous gremlins and positioned itself as Pink Bull’s major competitor.

After Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz scored a podium every in Bahrain and in Jeddah, the Spaniard led his teammate to a dominant 1-2 in Melbourne final day trip.

In the meantime, Mercedes’ finest consequence year-to-date was delivered by George Russell within the opening spherical at Sakhir the place he completed fifth, whereas the Brackley squad suffered a double DNF in Australia, its first since Austria in 2018.

The staff’s W15 – whereas an enchancment on its ground-effect predecessors – stays a troublesome and inconsistent proposition for its drivers.

The German outfit due to this fact has work to do to raise its efficiency and problem as soon as once more for race wins in F1.

However regardless of Hamilton’s upcoming transfer to Ferrari in 2025, Wolff is adamant that the seven-time world champion is “pretty much as good as you could be” and is not distracted by his future employer’s newfound success.

“I believe the drivers are tremendous on this entire setup as a result of Lewis is pretty much as good as you could be,” stated Wolff.

“He is in a scenario clearly the place, on one aspect, it is tremendous irritating to see that we’re not getting it. On the opposite aspect, look over the fence. It is fairly good what’s occurring there. However that’s not his major precedence at the moment.

“George is only a fighter and he is sticking in, and he is aware of that is his place. So, we have got to type this out.”

Regardless of his staff’s plight, Wolff emphasised his dedication to enchancment, suggesting a proactive method to figuring out and addressing weaknesses.”You at all times want to have a look at us like I would like to have a look at myself. What’s it? Why is it that we won’t get there?

“We’re people. The info would not take selections. People do. So, we’re not stopping. I am not sitting right here and dwelling. However quite the opposite, I am considering of what else is it that we have to do and the way can we push.”

Highlighting the cultural distinction between his Austrian directness and the extra reserved British method to criticism, Wolff stated that adapting his communication type was essential for sustaining a optimistic and productive staff dynamic in troublesome occasions.

“As an Austrian, we very a lot put on our coronary heart on our sleeve, and we see issues very direct,” defined the Mercedes F1 boss.

“An Austrian says, ‘That is actually shit’. A British particular person would say, ‘That is fascinating’.

“So, I needed to adapt the way in which I talk to be able to not create much more stress within the staff as a result of it could break us.

“It is not due to an absence of attempting that we’re not aggressive. So, I would moderately be useful and inspiring and say, ‘That is fascinating’.”

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