Starting from positions second and third on the grid, Toto Wolff thinks that Mercedes' chances of winning a Formula 1 race this season are at their greatest in today's Mexican Grand Prix.
Follow Us
Max Verstappen’s pole position lap for Red Bull was missed by George Russell and Lewis Hamilton by three tenths of a second, however they struggled on their final Q3 run. Russell described his final lap as “awful,” while Hamilton’s final effort was hampered by an engine oscillation issue as he reported experiencing power outages. On the longest run of the season from the starting grid to Turn 1, both Mercedes cars might benefit from receiving a tow from Verstappen. Historically, Mercedes has done better during races than during qualifying, but team president Wolff was hesitant to express confidence that the team had the car to win on Sunday.
Only a few times in my entire life have I ever felt confident, and never in Formula 1, according to Wolff. “In other words, I have no idea. “I’m disappointed that I didn’t get pole because it would have satisfied a need, but Max’s top speed advantage sitting behind us would have been a challenge the following day. “I hope we can push one or both of our noses into Turn 1 and vanish into the horizon. Starting second and third can be useful. But that will be challenging, without a certain.
Read More – Sergio Perez: Disappointment in qualifying F1 Mexican GP
Mercedes has three races left to avoid its first winless season since 2011, despite having a difficult time keeping up with Ferrari and Red Bull‘s performance for the majority of the season. Wolff responded, “Yeah, I think so, when asked if this was Mercedes’ best chance of winning a race so far this year. “The good news is that [Mexico] was sort of on the radar in our simulations as the greatest race. The fact that the virtual and real worlds correlate is thus positive. “The most important [thing] is that we really have the pace, and slowly but surely, we are going forward and learning the lessons for next year.”
The high-altitude circumstances in Mexico were one of Mercedes’ biggest advantages because they reduced drag in the thin air and permitted the deployment of high downforce packages. Because of the altitude, Mexico wasn’t a good destination for us for a long time, according to Wolff. But these people from the power unit have actually given us an extremely powerful engine here. “While running high downforce like all the others, we suffered less from our draggy car here. That has typically worked out better for us in the past.
