F1 News
Wolff compares pace to McLaren: 'Something which we need to understand'
Mercedes have a lot to learn after the eventful Grand Prix in Melbourne, according to team boss Toto Wolff. The Team Principal discussed how his team does not really understand why it is that the McLaren car is much better at managing tyres, which gives them a big advantage.
"P3 and P5, that's the result," Wolff told the media after the race. "If you look at the real pace today, pace result would be P4, P5. And I think it's a solid first weekend. But looking at it always from the glass half-empty side, you have to say that the pace of the McLaren is just very strong."
Mercedes needs to catch up to McLaren
"Something which we need to understand, the way they are able to manage the tyres and extract performance from these is, yeah, we just need to get better. If we want to fight for on merit for race victories and for a championship, there is definitely something which we need to find."
According to Wolff, the McLaren drivers can get their tyres in the right window much faster and much better than the Mercedes drivers are able as his drivers' tyres suffer much more from overheating and therefore lose grip much faster. This makes it incredibly difficult for the team to fight at the same pace with the top of the field. In addition, Wolff shared how he also sees a big rival in Red Bull Racing.
This article has been created in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel
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