F1 News
Wolff delighted with Mercedes: 'Enough pace to challenge at the front'
Andrea Kimi Antonelli's scintillating drive at Melbourne, from P16 to P4, gave Mercedes the edge on the Constructors' championship, rounding off George Russell's quieter podium-worthy drive to P3, as such the German team is effectively level with McLaren, and ahead of Red Bull and Ferrari in the Constructors' standings, as Mercedes CEO and Team Principal, Toto Wolff, looks ahead to the Chinese Grand Prix.
Wolff on the race in Melbourne
"We leave Australia with many positives but also a healthy dose of realism as to where we stand in the pecking order. The W16 provided a stable platform for the drivers, was less prone to swings in performance relative to the conditions than its predecessor, and at moments, showed strong enough pace to challenge at the front. It's clear we have taken a good step forward over the winter. Our focus is now on unlocking more potential and adding performance. We are excited for that challenge," Wolff began in a Mercedes press release.
"For Kimi, he could not have asked for a more difficult task on his Grand Prix debut: starting out of position, facing extremely difficult conditions and, at times, a treacherous track. Nevertheless, he handled everything that was thrown at him with a maturity beyond his years.
"His speed when in free air was impressive and his confidence and decisiveness when overtaking were superb. There will be challenging moments for him across the season, but we are pleased with the trajectory we are seeing from him already. P4 was a just reward," Wolff explained of Russell and Antonelli's performance.
Wolff looks ahead to the Chinese Grand Prix
"We now head to Shanghai and look forward to returning to China after what was a remarkable Grand Prix last year. You could sense the passion and energy from the fans as F1 returned to the country for the first time in five years. As the world's largest automotive market, and one of the world's biggest economies, China is crucial to the sport's global footprint. I am sure this year will see another great event," the Mercedes team boss concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Esteban den Toom.
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