Wolff hopeful both Mercedes cars can comfortably 'play for a win tomorrow'
F1 News
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is buzzing after George Russell secured pole position for Mercedes in Las Vegas. The Englishman was faster than Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly and will start from the best possible position on Sunday (The race is held on a Saturday night in Sin City!). Speaking to F1TV after qualifying, the Austrian reflected on Russell's performance and pointed out the fact that Lewis Hamilton, who qualified in 10th, is still in the mix for a podium or even a race victory.
Wolff is hopeful Mercedes can have a 'clean sweep' in Las Vegas:
First, the Austrian was asked about the Mercedes dominance of old that the Brackley-based team has had this weekend. In every session so far, a Mercedes has finished in first place. "Yes, the most important session is tomorrow. Maybe we hopefully can have a clean sweep. But the weekend has gone so far very. The car is quick, and we've delivered in all of those sessions," Wolff revealed.
So, what makes Mercedes so quick around Las Vegas? According to Wolff, it's a culmination of factors, but the colder temperature stands out. "Last year, we weren't so competitive. I think we qualified third, but in the race, we went a bit backwards. So we knew that the temperatures would suit us, but the track layout, not so much. And then, everything worked together. Turn 3, which is a high-speed corner, we were much quicker than everybody else. So overall, good indications," Wolff continued.
Russell was driving on the edge for the majority of the session. It was risky at points, but Wolff is happy with the eventual result despite his excursion close to the wall on the street circuit. "He drove really well. I mean, that wasn't a brush … He took a bit of a sticker off, I guess, a T-Mobile sticker. Yes, delivered all weekend," he said.
Wolff: 'Hamilton would've been on the front row'
Lewis Hamilton also looked good, but some mistakes during the latter part of qualifying prevented the seven-time world champion from a competitive starting position. The 105-time Grand Prix winner will line up in 10th place, but there's much more potential for him if he hits the jackpot tomorrow. "It would have been a front row. I think we had the cars to have a front row, which would have given us a few opportunities for tomorrow. But having said that, also where he starts, the car looks to be quick. There are a few that he should be able to overtake right away and then hopefully can play for a win tomorrow." Wolff concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Esteban den Toom.