Toto Wolff on relying on misfortunes of others in Baku: “Reliability is an important factor in Formula One”
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Toto Wolff
Baku was an uncomfortable weekend for the Mercedes drivers. The track was bumpy, and the bouncing made for a very uncomfortable ride. This was especially the case for Lewis Hamilton, who had complained of back pain on Friday, and echoed that during the race, saying that “Argh, my back is killing me!” and holding his back after the end of the race.
But as for the points table, it was a very solid weekend for Mercedes. George Russell finished on the podium, and Lewis Hamilton was just behind him. This was not particularly due to the Mercedes pace, but rather what had happened in front of them, as both Ferrari cars retired from the race with mechanical issues.
Mercedes have certainly bridged the gap to second place in Baku, considering Ferrari did not score any points at all. The W13 is also supposed to be better on purpose-built circuits than on street circuits (like the two previous races, Baku and Monaco) so the next race should be a better weekend for them in terms of pace, and they will certainly be hoping for a strong weekend.
Also Read: “No door is open for us,” Toto Wolff shuts down rumours of Pierre Gasly signing for Mercedes
Toto Wolff gives his verdict on Baku and ambitions for Canada
In Mercedes’ preview of the weekend in Montreal, Toto Wolff said that Baku was a tricky weekend for the team:
“Baku was a tricky weekend for us, particularly with the bouncing issues, but we really maximised the opportunities that came our way and left Azerbaijan with a solid collection of points.”
He emphasized the hard work done by the team in improving the car’s reliability: “We benefited from the misfortune of others, but reliability is an important factor in Formula One and there’s no shortage of hard work at Brackley and Brixworth behind getting both cars to the finish line.”
Wolff said that while they were still quite a way away from fighting at the front, he loved seeing the fight in the team to work with what they had. He assured fans that they are working to close the gap to the front two. He also expressed his excitement at Formula 1’s return to Canada, three years later.
“Having not been to Montreal since 2019, we’re all excited to return.” he further added that Mercedes are optimistic for Montreal: “We’re looking forward to seeing what the weekend has in store and hope we can take a step forward.”
Lewis Hamilton will certainly be excited to return to Canada: It was the site of his first victory in Formula 1. He had also won the last edition of the event in 2019, albeit amidst controversy. Hamilton is also the record winner of the Canadian Grand Prix – a record he shares with Michael Schumacher.
Also Read: Mercedes admit to pushing Lewis Hamilton’s Baku setup ‘too far’
Also Read: “He represents Mercedes,” Toto Wolff apologizes to Lewis Hamilton after a pain-filled race at Baku.
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)