Mercedes boss Toto Wolff reflected on a tough 2023 Miami Grand Prix weekend, and expected the same for the upcoming race at Imola, insisting they see the glass half full.
Mercedes were a miserable bunch in Miami, with their “nasty piece of work” W14, meaning Lewis Hamilton was knocked out of Q2 in qualifying, George Russell only good for sixth.
The pair did well in the race, Hamilton climbing up to sixth, Russell up to fourth, a result Toto Wolff admits they are happy with, considering their current state of affairs.
He said in Mercedes‘ post race debrief: “Two years ago, we wouldn’t have been as pleased with a P4 and a P6 as we are today. We know we have a difficult car though and clearly Qualifying was a real challenge.
“The car improved in the race, and we were able to achieve a solid result. Both drivers drove superbly today. It’s difficult to pass if you start P13 and are on the same strategy as everybody else, so we opted to start Lewis on the hard tyre. Others ahead chose to do the same and, after not gaining any positions at the start, it looked like it may be slightly diminished.
“We got there in the end though and maximised the result. It was also fantastic to see the way him and George worked together. They are both incredible drivers, but it is so straightforward with them. That is so good for us in this difficult moment,” the Austrian maintained.
Mercedes were planning to have a major upgrade for the next race, but that now seems to be postponed; Wolff said: “We move on to Imola next and I hope that we will take a step in our understanding of the car.
“We are glass half empty people here at Mercedes; I don’t believe we will go there and be in the middle of the fight for victory. We are focused on understanding the upgrades we bring and establishing a good baseline,” he concluded.
Russell: A really satisfying race
Russell reflected on his race in Miami; he said: “That was a really satisfying race for us today. After the challenges in Qualifying, it felt like a more normal day for us.
“To finish P4 on merit and finish ahead of the Ferraris was the maximum we could have achieved. The battle with Carlos (Sainz) was really enjoyable. I made a good move that needed a lot of commitment as the track is so dirty off-line.
“Thanks to Lewis for letting me by too and enabling me to get on with my race as we were in different battles today. We’ve got a really good relationship and we only want what is best for the Team. That’s what we are working towards,” Russell added, crediting Hamilton for letting him pass during the race.
“We know where we are at the moment, and the car is still challenging to drive,” the Mercedes driver admitted. “We hope to have some updates on the car in Imola; they are not going to change the world for us but hopefully it will be a step in the right direction.
“Despite today’s positives, we know we’ve still got a lot of work to do and need to make significant improvements to close the gap to Red Bull,” Russell concluded.
Hamilton: Going from P13 to P6 is decent
Hamilton spoke of his race from 13th to sixth around the Miami International Autodrome; he said: “Today was a good race and I am happy we moved forwards.
“Saturday was difficult, but I always try to turn negatives into positives. Going from P13 to P6 is decent and I had a lot of fun making my way through; it was great to have several battles, so I enjoyed it.
“It wasn’t spectacular at the start as we were stuck in a DRS train and struggling to overtake. I had to bide my time and then eventually, I was able to start attacking. The car was much better on the medium tyre and came alive midway through the race,” Hamilton explained.
“It’s good points for the Team and I want to say a big thank you to all of them. They are keeping their heads down and working hard to improve.
“We’re not where we want to be, but the morale is still great,” the seven-time Formula 1 Champion concluded.