F1 News
Wolff can still smile for the camera: ''Your boy was much faster''
- GPblog.com
For Mercedes the winter test in Bahrain was not a success story. The team that has dominated Formula 1 for the last seven years drove the fewest laps in Bahrain and was also not as fast as the competition. Are there problems for Mercedes or is this the ultimate form of sandbagging?
For the past seven years, Mercedes has had Formula 1 in its pocket. Only Ferrari came close in 2017 and 2018, but in fact Mercedes has ruled Formula 1 since the hybrid era. So the fact that the winter test in Bahrain didn't go entirely to plan was a surprise to many.
Difficulties for Mercedes
''Your boy was much faster in that Red Bull'', Toto Wolff said with a sense of humour to Jack Plooij of Ziggo Sport. ''We had trouble getting out of the starting blocks and understanding this car. We are in a better place on day three, but we still have to confirm that. We hope to do that in qualifying in two weeks' time,'' the Mercedes team boss added.
Besides the performance on track, the Dutch reporter also asked about the entry of the budget cap. ''It is difficult for the big teams. We actually had huge processes in place, and that doesn't work anymore. We really need to make an efficiency move'', concluded the Austrian, who revealed that the mechanics will all go back to the factory.