In a surprising turn of events, Toto Wolff’s recent comments have given Red Bull and McLaren fans something to cheer about!
Red Bull and McLaren are buzzing with excitement ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, thanks to an unexpected revelation from Mercedes’ team boss, Toto Wolff. He’s admitted that their W15 car isn’t capable of winning at every race just yet, giving a glimmer of hope to their rivals.
“We have continued to make progress with the W15 in recent races. That has led to headline results in Austria and Silverstone,” said Wolff. “However, we know we don’t yet have a car that can challenge for victories every weekend.”.
Mercedes has had a roller-coaster journey under the ground-effect regulations introduced in 2022, managing to snag pole positions in the last two Hungarian GPs with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, but that winning consistency is still elusive.
Wolff has urged his team to keep pushing for improvements right up until the summer break in hopes of bridging the performance gap with Red Bull and McLaren. “The team is working hard to bring more steps of performance that we hope will enable us to do that,” he mentioned. “Those efforts will continue over the next two races and right up until shutdown.”
.This admission has sparked speculation about future driver movements, especially with the reigning three-time World Champion, Max Verstappen, being mentioned as a potential candidate for Mercedes. However, Wolff admitted that for now, Verstappen shouldn’t consider a move until Mercedes can present a more competitive package. “I think we still need to look at ourselves and say: ‘What can we do in order to have a car that is able to race with these two at the front and do it more regularly?’” Wolff confessed.
Mercedes is also on the lookout for a new driver after Hamilton’s shocking announcement that he’s heading to Ferrari from 2025. Wolff has even expressed interest in Verstappen as a possible replacement, but it’s clear there’s still work to be done before that becomes a reality.
In the words of Toto Wolff, “We need two to crash at the front to win at the moment.” It’s clear that Mercedes, despite their recent wins, still have some way to go before they can consistently challenge Red Bull and McLaren for the top spot.
So, as the Hungarian Grand Prix looms, the excitement is palpable. Red Bull and McLaren, take your shot! The door to victory might just be a little wider thanks to Mercedes’ current predicament.
Source: Planetf1
