Wolff stresses Mercedes are in "serious trouble" with the cost cap
F1 News
Toto Wolff has highlighted how Mercedes are in "serious trouble" with the cost cap after a third heavy crash during the 2024 Formula 1 season. George Russell hit the wall with a "35G" impact in FP2 on Friday in Mexico, and the Mercedes boss stressed how the majority of the car needed to changed overnight.
Russell lost control of the car over the kerb and spun at high speed. He went sideways into the barrier and stopped with a large impact. Russell climbed out of the car unassisted but had to go to the medical centre. He was discharged after some medical checks.
Why Mercedes are in "serious trouble" with the cost cap
The crash in practice marks the third heavy crash for Russell's car during the season. "We’re in serious trouble. We are all struggling to stay within the budget cap and of course we had a bad accident with Kimi at Monza. Then the second one with George last week and now again," Wolff told the German branch of Sky Sports.
Wolff then went on to detail the impact of the crash. “35G, so that was a really big impact. He was taken to the medical centre, but he’s okay. But of course, the car is badly damaged. We do have the parts. I think we can keep the old chassis, but everything else has to go. The engine has to come out, the gearbox has to be checked and everything else. Two corners of the car are completely gone. So it’s serious damage," Wolff said.
Russell was "frustrated" to have the accident because he felt good during the first free practice session. The British driver finished the session as the fastest and was three-tenths faster than Carlos Sainz, who finished second.
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