Wolff: Monza is an opportunity to bounce back straight away

Holland was not on Mercedes's agenda after their swell form of late, but the short, twisty seaside venue did not 'play nice' for Toto Wolff's team, he knows it and expects an upturn at Monza this weekend.

In the team's preview of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal, Wolff pulled no punches: "It was a disappointing weekend in Zandvoort. We didn't perform to the level we expected."

Mercedes's cause was not helped by Hamilton's dismal Qualifying on Saturday, which included a penalty for impeding, meaning the seven-time F1 World Champion started P14. Russell did better to Qualify P4, albeit over six tenths down on Lando Norris' pole-winning time in the McLaren, incidentally powered by Mercedes engines!

Reflecting on the race at Zandvoort, Wolff said: "Lewis drove a strong race to recover to the points, but qualifying out of position limited the returns. George meanwhile suffered with high degradation and therefore didn't have the pace to fight with for the top six."

Russell winning in Austria was seen as a turning point for Mercedes, who had not won since the George also took victory in Sao Paulo back in 2022. The barren spell was down to the fact that the team struggled to understand the W15, until, by their own admission, a 'light bulb' moment led them to a performance epiphany.

It served them well not only at Red Bull Ring, with Russell doing the business, he might've won at Spa-Francorchamps but for being DQed which gifted GP win 105 to Hamilton, keeping the victory in the family and adding to Lewis' fine triumph at Silverstone. Hence the reality check at Zandvoort for the Silver Arrows.

Wolff reckoned: “Sometimes it is good to be bruised to take a step forward. We arrived in the Netherlands looking to continue our fine pre-Summer Shutdown form but experienced a weekend as up and down as the Dunes around the Zandvoort circuit.

“These cars can sometimes be a surprise, and Zandvoort did not look like the car that finished with six podiums in a row, fighting for first and second on merit a few weeks ago. You can’t really end up with a result like this without any major factor playing its part and that is something we need to analyse in the next few days," Wolff said after the race.

Going forward, the Mercedes team boss revealed: "The team is already working hard analysing all the data to understand what caused this. Whilst it's a quick turnaround, we have the opportunity to bounce back straight away in Monza. I am confident we can do so.

"It is a very different circuit to Zandvoort, and likely even quicker this year with some of the changes they have made. We will also need to understand the impact of the track resurfacing that has been carried out. Monza is always a fascinating challenge for both teams and drivers and one we are looking forward to."

Adding to the hype of Monza, Ferrari territory, is the fact that Mercedes are giving Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli a much-anticipated run in FP1 as they prep him to fill the big shoes of Maranello-bound Hamilton. The 18-year-old Formula 2 driver will be on duty in George Russell's car on Friday.

Wolff continued: "The atmosphere is always special as the Italian fans are passionate about their racing. That will be even more so in FP1 as Kimi Antonelli steps into George's car for a rookie session. Kimi has been part of our junior program since he was 12, so this is an exciting moment for both him and the team. I am sure he will enjoy the experience of driving in front of his home crowd.

"In turn, I am sure they will be excited to see a new Italian talent on track. We look forward to seeing Kimi in the W15 on Friday morning and contributing to the team's start to the weekend," added Wolff of the young driver on whom Mercedes are placing huge trust. Monza is the official unveiling of a driver who represents the first in a new era of Young Guns bound for F1.

Meanwhile, heading to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Mercedes are dropped points to their top three rivals (Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari) leaving them further in no-mans-land, almost 100 points behind Ferrari in P3 and the same gap to Aston Martin in P5. They are P4 in the 2024 F1 World Championship standings ahead of Round 16 at Monza.

Hamilton (P6) and Russell (P8) are nowhere in the F1 Drivers' standings, see below: